Daniel Okwute has signed for Kerry FC.
It's a permanent signing and he will be available for tomorrow's game at Longford.
KFC statement:
Kerry Football Club are delighted to announce the return of Daniel Okwute to the club as the Kerry man has penned a deal to re-join the League of Ireland outfit from Stockport County.
The 19 year old made the move from our Under 19 set up to Stockport County who play in League Two and narrowly missed out on promotion last season.
The centre forward will now make the move home to his native Kerry and play for the League of Ireland newcomers for the remainder of the season.
Okwute is no stranger to the SSE Airtricity First Division, having moved from Stockport County to Finn Harps for the first half of the 2023 season to date.
A familiar face around Mounthawk Park, Okwute made a welcome return to Mounthawk Park, although wearing the blue of our Donegal based opponents.
Daniel will don the number 21 shirt for Kerry FC.
Speaking on his arrival to Kerry Football Club, Okwute said “It feels great to be back here in Kerry and get the chance to play for Kerry FC in our first season in the senior League of Ireland. I played in the academy here for a number of years and it always gave me a good sense of pride to wear the Kerry jersey. Okwute continued “I’m looking forward to teaming up with the boys. There are a lot of familiar faces in and around the dressing room and I was impressed by them when I can down to Tralee with Finn Harps earlier in the year.”
Okwute is a welcome addition to the team as he becomes our fourth signing of the window. First Team Manager Billy Dennehy said “It’s great to have Daniel back. He is a young player who started off this journey with us with myself and James Sugrue many years ago when we first took over the Kerry U17s. He developed really well in the underage leagues. We brought him up to under 19 level when he was still under 17. His performances at that level were really strong. From there he got his deserved move to Stockport. You’re obviously at a different stage of your career when you join a professional club and you’re moving away from home with a lot of new elements to contend with. For Daniel, I suppose things didn’t go the way he hoped, but he is still so young in his career he still has so much to do in his football career and many more chapters to add to his story. So I’m very excited to be working with Daniel again and helping him to get back to the level I know he is capable of. We will do everything here in Kerry FC to further develop his game and his career over the coming years. I know Daniel is hungry and determined to perform well and help Kerry soccer as much as possible.”
Meanwhile, Kerry have also announced the signing of former Brentford goalkeeper Lee Axworthy on a permanent deal.
KFC statement
Axworthy, an Irish national, makes the move cross channel in what will be his first taste of League of Ireland Football. Originally born in Dublin, Lee lived in the Kingdom until he was 6 and went to primary school in Milltown. Lee’s aunty lives in Lispole and his grandparents are from Milltown so Kerry roots are strong with our new goalkeeper who often visited the south west in off season breaks. Lee’s football career began in St Albans City before joining Brentford U19’s at the age of 16 before going on to the Brentford B team set up training alongside the main team. Lee made multiple appearances at U23 level facing the likes of West Brom and Oxford United.
In recent years, Axworthy has been playing non-league football in the UK for the likes of Kings Langley FC, Hertford Town and Welwyn Garden City in the Southern League.
Our new goalkeeper will wear the number 32 shirt for the remainder of the season.
Speaking on his signing for the League of Ireland newcomers, Axworthy said “I wanted to come home to Ireland to explore a few opportunities with different clubs but the one that made the most sense was here in Kerry as it is an exciting project to be part of ( it’s not often you get the opportunity to join a brand new club). I’m looking forward to representing a place that’s close to my heart and helping them to get some points on the board in the second half of the season. I have been made very welcome and I’m really enjoying spending some time with my family too. I’m ready to go and it’s great to be back home!” he said. Axworthy added “I feel like I have some gained some solid experience in England that will help me in the LOI and hopefully can help the lads too.”
First Team Manager Billy Dennehy said “Lee is a young goalkeeper who has a great pedigree in the game especially from his time with Brentford as well as other clubs in the UK. He reached out to the club in relation to coming in training, given his family ties to the county. I knew straight away he was a player with a great background in the game, given his understanding and ability. But he was probably at a bit of a crossroads in his career like many young players, travelling around trying to find a suitable fit and finding somewhere where you are comfortable to push forward. Even though he was only in with us for a few days, Lee got the feeling from us here in Kerry FC and showed a great desire to wear the Kerry shirt despite other opportunities in the league. For him to want to come to our group just shows the type of environment we offer our players here. So ya, delighted to have Lee here, I think he will be a big addition to us on and off the pitch and I’m excited to see him togged off in Kerry FC gear”
