Leicester City have brought Republic of Ireland Under-21 international midfielder Conor Clifford to the Club on a short-term deal until the end of the season.
The 21-year-old free agent will link up with Steve Bealgehole’s Development Squad after a successful trial that saw him score the winning goal in a 2-1 victory over Birmingham City Under-21s last month.
A product of Chelsea’s Academy, Dublin-born Clifford is a tough-tackling central midfielder with an eye for goal, and was called into Giovanni Trapattoni’s senior Ireland squad for a World Cup Qualifier against Germany in October 2012, but is yet to play.
Since moving to England with Chelsea in 2007, the 2010 FA Youth Cup winner has spent time on loan with Plymouth Argyle, Notts County, Yeovil Town, Portsmouth and Crawley Town.
He scored his first senior goal for Portsmouth in a 4-2 defeat at Carlisle in August 2012 before being released by Chelsea in January 2013 in order to help the youngster find a new club before the end of the season.