Worksop Town sign defender Mason O'Malley
Worksop Town have strengthened their squad with the signing of 23-year-old left-back Mason O’Malley on a permanent deal.
O’Malley brings a wealth of experience for his age, having played for several clubs across different divisions.
He started his career in the Huddersfield Town academy, joining at U14 level in 2015.
After his release in 2019, he moved to Scunthorpe United, where he became a regular in the first team.
He made his professional debut in the EFL Trophy against Lincoln City in 2020 and went on to make 59 appearances for Scunthorpe in League Two.
Despite being born in Leeds, O’Malley is of Irish descent and earned his first cap for the Republic of Ireland U21s in a friendly match against Wales U21s in March 2021.
After Scunthorpe’s relegation to the National League, O’Malley featured in 21 matches during the 2022/23 season.
He later joined Ilkeston Town on loan in early 2023 before moving to Bradford Park Avenue at the start of the 2023/24 season, where he made 29 appearances. He departed at the end of the campaign after BPA were relegated from the Northern Premier League Premier Division.
O’Malley’s arrival comes as Charlie Winfield, Worksop Town's current left-back, heads out on loan to Bridlington to gain more playing time.
Manager Craig Parry is excited about the signing, saying: “We’re pleased to bring Mason in within the squad, as we want to keep the squad balanced.
"The reason we’ve done that is we feel that Charlie (Winfield) needs game time, so to support Charlie in his development, we’ve agreed for him to go to Bridlington on a short-term loan.
“Mason brings a lot of experience to the group for a player who’s relatively young, and he’s also another guy who has been with us all pre-season.
"We know what we’re getting, we know the ability he’s got, and we know the fitness levels he’s got, so we’re happy to bring Mason in.”
O'Malley made his debut for Worksop last Saturday, coming on as a substitute for the injured Josh Wilde in their match against Guiseley and got an assist for Vaughan Redford's winner.
He will now be looking to make an immediate impact as Worksop push for promotion.