MORTON have announced the signing of Motherwell defender Darragh O’Connor today.

The 22-year-old’s contract at Fir Park expires at the end of this month and he has become Dougie Imrie’s third signing of the summer transfer window.

The English-born Irishman will join fellow defender Jack Baird in the door at Cappielow following his arrival last week, as well as utility man Carlo Pignatiello, who completed his switch to the Ton on Monday.

O'Connor will be a familiar face to Ton supporters having spent last season on loan at Queen of the South.

He joined the Doonhamers from Well in January on a loan deal until the end of the season.

O’Connor started 15 times for Willie Gibson’s side last season, scoring once as well as featuring for 90 minutes in two games against Morton, the 2-1 victory for Imrie’s men at Cappielow as well as the 3-0 defeat for the Ton at Palmerston Park.

The defender’s one goal in professional football came in the final game of the Championship season, coming up with the winner in Queen's 2-1 victory over Dunfermline on April 29.

The Irishman also played his part in the Doonhamers' run to the SPFL Trust Trophy final, playing the full game in both the 1-0 semi-final victory over Cove Rangers as well as the 3-1 final defeat to Raith Rovers at the Excelsior Stadium.

Born in Croydon, O’Connor moved across to Clonroche, Wexford County, Ireland, in 2005 where he appeared for Cloughbawn, Waterford and Shamrock Rovers at youth level.

His senior career started at Wexford in 2019, going on to make 20 appearances in total, before making the switch to Premier League side Leicester City in the same year.

Spending two years at the King Power, the centre-back failed to make a single Premier League appearance for the Foxes, however, he did play 15 times for Leicester's under-23 side in the Premier League Two as well as making six appearances in the EFL Trophy.

In July 2021 O’Connor joined Motherwell, signing an initial one-year deal, featuring four times in the Premier Sports Cup group stages in July before making a sole appearance in the Scottish Premiership as a substitute for Graham Alexander’s side in a 2-1 victory away at Livingston in August.