Sligo Rovers are pleased to announce that Mikey Place has signed his first professional contract with the club.

He becomes the latest player to graduate through the Rovers underage system to join the likes of Regan Donelon, Gary Armstrong, Gary Boylan and Liam Martin who are currently in the first team squad along with many more who have featured in recent years.

Place hails from Dunmore in Galway, the same town as Regan Donelon.

An attacking central midfielder he played his youth football with Dunmore Town and Lough Harps as well as in Dublin with Lucan United.

While with Lucan he represented Ireland at under-17 level.

The 17 year-old was signed for Rovers under-19 squad at the start of last season and was impressive in his nine games with goals scored against Finn Harps and Letterkenny Rovers.

Place gained a taste of first team action last year when he featured in the mid-season friendly against Motherwell.

Dave Robertson identified the talent of Mikey Place early on and is very happy to have him signed.

The Galway midfielder has been part of the squad throughout pre-season training and with the deal now signed will continue to play a part during Rovers pre-season friendlies.

Robertson first saw Place when he featured in Rovers under-19s last game of the 2015 season: “I am really pleased to have signed Mikey. Having watch him play when I came first he was one that caught my eye with the impact he had on the game against Limerick. He has added to that by being really impressive in the training session I had with the under-19s. And now with the first team in the last couple of weeks he has really flown.

“For me it was a simple process to get him signed. It’s what we are all about to give local players a chance and he is one that has really stood out. What we want is to give a pathway for these lads through to the first-team.”

Robertson talked about the quality he can bring to the Bit o’Red with attributes in both the attacking and defensive side of the game: “He can play as a midfielder or a striker and he’s full of energy. He is really good in the attacking areas and has the pace to get in behind defences and cause them problems. He has scored some fantastic goals and he a real natural eye for where the goal is. But he also has a good understanding of his role in the team and the defensive structure that we have. He’s got the energy and the desire to go and win the ball back quickly. He understand exactly what we are looking for from him and is definitely one for the future I think.”

Place is likely to feature during the friendlies Rovers will play in preparation for the new season and the Bit o’Red boss says he could play his way into the team: “He will gain a lot of experience this year. We will have to manage his transition to the first team and manage him through it. He will get his opportunity in pre-season and whether he takes it is entirely down to him. But what I do know is that he will give 100% day in, day out and week in, week out."