St Patrick's Athletic sign former Bournemouth striker Josh O'Hanlon

Liam Buckley says he's 'expecting quite a bit' from Josh O'Hanlon after the striker completed his move to St Patrick's Athletic ahead of the 2017 season's opening on Friday.

The former Longford Town and AFC Bournemouth player has been a free agent since being released from a short-term deal at Newport County in January.

The phsyically imposing Dubliner will complete the Saints' strikeforce ahead of the new season with top scorer Christy Fagan and Kurtis Byrne already in situ at Richmond Park.

"Josh is a particularly good signing,” an enthused Buckley told the club's official website.

“He's been in training with us for the last weeks few weeks and we've seen him in a couple of the friendly games too in which he's done really well.

“He's a strong boy, technically very good and will link the play well for us, I'm looking forward to working with him."

"He takes the ball in well which is an important part of our game, his work rate is very good, he's quick, good in the air from both an attacking and defensive point of view so I'm expecting quite a bit from him.

“Josh adds a bit of pace for us in behind the opposition if we need it. Christy Fagan would be a little bit the opposite in terms of linking the play and looking to be in the box to finish chances.

“We have Kurtis too who can play on either wing or up front and has an eye for a goal as we know, and young Aidan as well as a couple of the other attacking players in our U19 group, hopefully they'll get us a few goals."

O'Hanlon played his underage football with St Kevin's Boys before making his breakthrough as a 17-year-old with Longford Town, scoring seven times in 20 appearances in 2013, earning him a move to Bournemouth.

The 21-year-old spent had loan spells with Oxford City, Poole Town, York City, Chester and Longford during his three years at Bournemouth but he failed to impact the first team and was released during the summer.

O'Hanlon added: "I came home on loan to Longford last season and it didn't really work out for me. I wasn't really in a good place. I'm back now and I've been enjoying my football again.

“I'm not going to put too much pressure on myself and make any promises just yet, I need to work hard to get in the team and we'll see where we go from there.

"I'm obviously a big man who can play as a target man of sorts but I can also run in behind and threaten the opposition teams in the other half as well as linking up the play."

"When I was younger I would have really been known for wanting to use my pace and run in behind all the time but in the last couple of years I've become more of a central striker.

“I like doing both and it's good to have a mix. We can play with either one striker, two up or even three. I think the players we have in the squad give us good options to do that."

O'Hanlon will wear the number 26 shirt at Richmond Park.