Meet Connor O'Riordan

Read about our new on-loan centre half's career so far

These pieces have been interesting to write. Not only is it a great insight to hear views from fans of other clubs who have seen our new signings pull on their own clubs’ shirts, but it does wonders for raising excitement. Even with the most pessimistic of player introduction pieces written this summer (see: Ryan Loft), there’s an element of using the endless positivity of summer’s off-season to look at the good in everything. Yes, in mid-February we might look at Loft and all our fears will be confirmed. But in mid-July, why not think that Monk can get him to click? After all, remember Paul Mullin?

But these pieces have also been tough to write. Mainly for the exact reason that it always feels like you’re imparting an opinion or judgment on a player before ever seeing them wear the amber and black. Opinions from other fans and a career background can only teach you so much. The past is the past, it’s all about what they do in the present for United that matters.

Now at least, as I try to keep up with the new signings we’re bringing in over August, we have a few games’ worth of first-hand experience of these players to add to our introductions. We know a bit more about how they play and how Monk wants them to play in his U’s side. It’s a hugely useful factor to add into giving a bit of background on a new player.

Connor O’Riordan, at this point, doesn’t feel like much of a new signing. Having joined the U’s two weeks ago, and being followed into the building by Josh Stokes and Manny Longelo (both on loan too), I’m very much playing catch up with this piece. But O’Riordan’s signing shouldn’t be underestimated - not just in who the player is and what profile he has, but for the position he’s coming in to cover.

Since Mamadou Jobe’s devastating ACL injury, it’s felt like there’s been a spot at centre-half up for grabs for someone to come in and claim. It also always felt like this would naturally be a loan player, someone who just needs to fill Mam’s boots for a year while he recovers. The opportunity to make a guarantee to a club a level or two above us that their most promising talent will get 46 League One matches to improve and develop under Monk shouldn’t be underestimated in this exchange too.

Up steps Mr O’Riordan. The 20-year-old centre half arrives on loan from Blackburn Rovers. He is a product of Crewe Alexandra’s infamously productive academy system, and is a darling of many an EFL pundit’s eye - there was lots of excitement from all the right people across social media at seeing him sign for us.

At 6 foot 4 inches he is a significant physical presence. And we’ve seen already he is not just there for his height and stature. He can play too. He fits the mould of what some might say is a very modern centre-back in that he’s an all-rounder - he’s obviously tall and an aerial threat, but he’s comfortable passing the ball and even more so in carrying it out from the back.

All these are reasons why Monk clearly likes him. He must be delighted to have bagged a similar profile to what we saw Jobe capable of doing towards the end of last season.

In January 2024, Jon Dahl Tomasson was happy to part with half a million pounds to bring him to Blackburn from Crewe. Since then he’s only featured twice for Rovers, with Rovers Chat (a Blackburn fan-run podcast) saying, “He keeps getting 5 minutes and it’s normally so we have someone else to head it out, that’s it really. He needs a proper loan so hoping it works.” Despite not playing more than handful of minutes for them, they clearly have high hopes he can break into their side next season after a run of games.

But for some more intel on his performances we need to go further back. Starting his career at Crewe, he went on a couple of local loans to Kidsgrove Athletic and Nantwich Town, before taking his first proper steps in senior football on loan at Raith Rovers for the first half of 2022/23. Their podcast, Oh No No No, told us:

At our level, he was a very solid and dependable centre half. Looked imposing in the air and not afraid of a challenge. We had tried to get him back for the second half of the season, but ultimately Crewe decided to use him for the second half of the season where he never looked back!

Overall he should be a positive acquisition for you. Shouldn't have any issues fitting in and he's highly rated enough to the point both Scotland and Ireland Under 21s called him up.

International pedigree to boot. As mentioned, he returned to Crewe at the end of that season, and nailed his place in their starting line up, going on to amass 58 total appearances in all competitions. Crewe pod The Railwaymen told us:

Connor O'Riordan can probably consider himself the wrong player under the wrong manager at Blackburn. Signed in January by Jon Dahl Tomasson just 16 days before the Norwegian was sacked, his replacement as Rovers boss, John Eustace, doesn't appear to have the time or patience required to get this young defender the game time he needs to carry on his progress.

This is a great shame as O'Riordan is one of the best of the recent academy products from the Alex. He's a centre back who seems to be able to do it all. A loan spell at Raith Rovers got him ready for men's football and all of a sudden he was undroppable.

He can tackle, head, and is surprisingly fast on his feet. He's also got a great eye for goal for a centre back. Getting out of Blackburn and playing regularly was incredibly important for Connor, and I believe that Cambridge have a real talent on their hands here. My biggest problem is this didn't need to happen, if we had made it to the end of that transfer window with him still in the squad then I'll firmly believe that Connor would be playing League One football with us this season.

Crewe Alex’s loss is United’s gain in this instance. This is one player where it looks like our recruitment team have got it spot on. As a replacement for Jobe, a defender with these sorts of reviews seems a perfect fit, and it didn’t take long for U’s fans to see that for themselves. Where there’s been question marks over almost every part of our backline - from Reyes or Stevens, to Bennett or Gibbons, to why no Morrison, and is Rossi too shakey - O’Riordan has looked like our most competent and assured defender.

Confident on the ball, dominant in the air, and a very intelligent player. United fans have warmed to him straight away. Like any young player, there’ll surely be bumps along the way (although slightly harsh, the third goal against Blackpool was potentially a first one of those). But if the first indications from his first few performances are anything to go by, we’ve got ourselves a really good player for 2024/25.