ACCRINGTON Stanley have signed striker Ryan Cassidy on a season-long loan from Watford.

The Republic of Ireland Under 19 international will spend his first spell away from Vicarage Road at the Wham Stadium.

The 19-year-old joined the Hornets aged 16 from St Kevin’s Boys and has been prolific at Under 18 and Under 23 level for the Hornets and has just signed a new two-year deal at Watford.

The Dubliner captained the Watford youth side last year to the semi-final of the FA Youth Cup, scoring seven times in four games, before they were knocked out by Liverpool.

“Ryan is a really good prospect,” said Stanley manager John Coleman.

“We have seen him play, he looks like a natural goalscorer, our type of player, and hopefully someone who will come in and give us a bit of quality in and around the box.

“With myself and Jimmy being former strikers, we can develop him further, add value to him and hopefully it’s a win-win situation and Watford get a better player when he goes back and we get the service off him.

“We have done our homework on him, he ticks the boxes for us and he is the type of player we need and players like him thrive when they come to Accrington so hopefully he will be the next one on the long list.”

“This was the year I had to step up and go out of my comfort zone and Accrington accepted me,” said Cassidy.

“I am so excited, to play men’s football is different for me and it’s a challenge I am looking forward to.”

Cassidy is Stanley’s second summer signing after Cameron Burgess.

* Clubs in League One and Two have voted in favour of squad salary caps, the English Football League has announced.

The cap will be set at £2.5million in League One and £1.5m in League Two and has been introduced with immediate effect, the EFL said.

A statement from the EFL read: “The decision follows extensive and comprehensive consultation with all clubs in respect of addressing sustainability and wage inflation issues across the EFL which were initiated prior to the suspension of football in March following the Covid-19 outbreak and have continued during the course of the summer.”

Championship clubs are understood be discussing a cap, but there are currently no formal plans for a vote on the subject.