McGovern joins Shamrock Rovers from Dungannon Swifts

John McGovern has been signed by Irish Premiership side Dungannon Swifts, according to League of Ireland Premier Division leaders Shamrock Rovers.

The 22-year-old striker has an undisclosed transfer fee to Rovers.

McGovern played a key role in Dungannon’s successful 2024-25 season, which saw them finish fourth in the league and win the Irish Cup by beating Cliftonville 4-3 on penalties after the game ended 1-1 after extra-time, ensuring the Stangmore Park outfit won European football.

The former Northern Ireland Under-21 international and Newry City frontman scored the match’s opener and made 14 league starts for Rodney McAree’s team out of 29 starts.

The Dublin club’s statement on Tuesday read, “The club agreed a transfer fee with Dungannon Swifts, which will remain undisclosed.”

“This transfer is subject to international and domestic clearance, which will allow John to be selected from July 1 to July 1st, 2025,” according to the statement.

“John has attracted a lot of interest in recent months, but he has fully embraced his desire to play for Shamrock Rovers.”

Manager Stephen Bradley stated on the Shamrock Rovers club website that McGovern was on his mind for “more than a year.”

We watched John quite a bit, we were up. Over the past year, we have made numerous attempts to get him, but it was in vain.

At the time, Dungannon weren’t ready to sell because John was in college. So, it was just a matter of keeping an eye on John, which we thankfully have in place right away.

We could have moved in on other players in the previous window because we had been keeping tabs on John for a while. We really like what he’s about, and he fits the group. We patiently waited, and the task is now complete.

McGovern stated on the club’s website that making the move was “a no-brainer.”

“I’m utterly delighted. The largest club in the country, it is massive. You examine the success of Shamrock Rovers throughout the club’s history in recent years.

“I want to leave the club’s legacy,” the club president said. “I want to win medals.