Town are closing in on the signing of 17-year-old Irish keeper Alex Noonan from Shamrock Rovers.

Noonan, who is yet to make a League of Ireland appearance for the Dublin side but played in the President’s Cup final in January, has made a number of trips to Playford Road and is closing in on a move to the Blues ahead of the new season, according to the Irish Sunday Times.

Capped by Ireland at U15, U16, U17, U18 and U19 levels, Noonan is currently 6ft 1in tall, but Town keeper-coach Rene Gilmartin, who has a similar role with the Irish U21s, is said to be confident he will grow further and has the ability to make it at the top level.

Rovers manager Stephen Bradley has said he would have no qualms about fielding Noonan in his first team over a prolonged period should he need to.

“You are talking about a top keeper,” he said. “If we were in a different place in terms of Ed [McGinty] not being firmly our number one, Alex would no doubt have a lot more games by now. He’s very good.

“If Alex had had to play the first 15 or 16 games or whatever it is, we’d have no issues. He’s good, he’s very good,”

Noonan, who is from from Maynooth in County Kildare, was Ireland’s number one at the U17 World Cup in Qatar last year.

Photo: TWTD