Richie Towell joins Rotherham United on loan from Brighton

Former Dundalk midfielder Richie Towell has joined English League One side Rotherham United on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion for the duration of the English league season.

Towell had always been likely to head out on loan after he failed to be included in the Premier League club's 25-man squad list for the season, the only question being his destination.

The Inchicore native previously indicated the Championship in England was his minimum level but he has been forced to re-evaluate following 18 month frustrated by injuries and limited chances.

26-year-old Towell joined the Seagulls in January 2016 after helping Dundalk to back-to-back league titles and an FAI Cup title in his third season with the Lilywhites.

However due to niggling injuries and the strong performance of the team as they gained automatic promotion to the top division have meant fewer first-team opportunities than anticipated.

He scored his first senior goal for the club in an FAI Cup tie with Lincoln City in January however he couldn't prevent his side from falling to a 3-1 defeat.

“Richie wants to play regularly and this is an ideal opportunity for him to do that,” said Brighton manager Chris Hughton.

“It’s a move that benefits all three parties: the player, ourselves and Rotherham.

“Richie is a great professional that always works hard in training, and this will provide him with the opportunity to play regular first-team matches."

Rotherham boss Paul Warne added: “He is a player I have looked at for a long time, after we made a concerted effort to bring him here in January.

“He has been on my radar ever since, and I am honoured that he has agreed to come and join us.

“What attracted him to me was his unbelievable energy. He falls into the type of player that I want here, and I know he will embrace the opportunity.

“By opting to leave Brighton, he has shown a real desire to go and play and I think he will fit right in with the way we want to play.

“He comes from a good background, and was wanted by a number of clubs when he left Ireland to sign for Brighton.

“We feel he will be a good fit for us.”

Towell began his senior career in Scotland with Celtic, making one appearance for the Glasgow club in three years.

Following two loan spells with Hibernian, during which time he worked under former Bohemians and Shelbourne manager Pat Fenlon, he returned to Ireland in 2013 to sign for Dundalk.