O'Shea can operate on the right side of midfield or as a striker
Birmingham have signed winger James O'Shea from League of Ireland side Galway United for an undisclosed fee.
O'Shea, capped three times by Republic of Ireland Under-21s, has signed a two-year deal at St Andrew's with the option for a further two years.
"James is a quick young winger with good feet," said Blues boss Alex McLeish. "He's a good young prospect we hope can be a future star."
O'Shea, 20, was top scorer for Galway last season with 10 goals.
Dublin-born O'Shea is following a similar path to fellow Irishman Keith Fahey, who joined Birmingham from St Patrick's last season, and McLeish is hoping his latest signing can have a similar impact in the future.
"We took a bit of a gamble with Keith Fahey coming over last year and he's been a revelation," added McLeish.
"He was excellent in our bid to get back to the Premier League. He was one of the main catalysts.
"James is not for going into the team right now. We felt he was worth a wee shout because he didn't cost the earth but is hopefully one we can turn into a top player."
E-mail this to a friend 
Printable version 
Bookmark with:
What are these?