Experienced defender Shane Grimes leaves hometown club Dundalk

Experienced defender Shane Grimes has announced he is to leave his hometown club Dundalk after three trophy-laden seasons at Oriel Park.

The full-back rejoined the Lilywhites ahead of the 2015 season from Drogheda United and was part of the side that won the league and cup double in his first season.

Grimes added a further league winner's medal to his cabinet in 2016 and was part of the squad that qualified for the group stages of the Europa League that season.

His time at Oriel Park has been hampered by injury, however, particularly a bad hamstring tear at the tail end of 2016 that kept him out for six months.

“Today has been a very hard day,” Grimes wrote on Twitter.

“I would like to thank Dundalk FC, all fans and everyone involved, connected wit [sic] Dundalk in any way.

“The past three years have been a privilege and I feel very lucky to of [sic] been involved wit [sic] my hometown club in such successful years.”

30-year-old Grimes came through the ranks at Dundalk and made his senior debut, aged 18, against Galway United in 2005.

He was part of the Dundalk side that won the First Division title in 2008 but moved to First Division Monaghan United during the off-season.

Grime helped the club to the EA Sports Cup final in 2010 and to promotion from the First Division the following year, only to again move, this time to Drogheda.

He spent three seasons with Drogheda, interrupted by an eight-month ban after testing positive for a prohibited substance, before signing back with the Lilywhites at the end of 2014.