Ex-Sunderland defender Dan Casey has joined Mike Dodds at Wycombe after leaving Motherwell

League One side Wycombe Wanderers have confirmed the signing of former Sunderland academy defender Dan Casey.

The 27-year-old centre-back joins the Chairboys following his departure from Scottish Premiership side Motherwell, where he made 85 appearances and scored seven goals across two seasons. Casey becomes Wycombe's second signing of the summer as the club looks to rebuild following their play-off disappointment last term.

Casey came through the youth ranks at Sunderland between 2013 and 2017 after moving over from Dublin, where he had previously played for St Joseph’s Boys. Though he didn’t make a senior appearance for the Black Cats, his time at the Academy of Light was a key development stage in a career that has since seen him feature for Bohemians, Cork City, Sacramento Republic and Motherwell.

Wycombe are managed by Mike Dodds, a former first-team coach at Sunderland, though Dodds’ time on Wearside did not overlap with Casey’s spell at the club. Announcing the move on social media, Wycombe said: “Our second signing of the summer will see central defender @DanCasey1997 head to Adams Park following his departure from Motherwell. Welcome to Wycombe, Dan!”

Casey brings experience and versatility to Wycombe’s back line, having featured in multiple domestic and continental competitions, including a standout stint in Scotland with Motherwell. Across his senior career, he has made over 240 appearances and scored 18 goals.

Born in Dublin, Casey has also represented the Republic of Ireland at the U17 and U19 levels and has a strong sporting background. Before committing fully to football, he played Gaelic football for Cuala CLG and rugby for C.B.C. Monkstown, a school also attended by his grandfather, Ireland rugby international Patrick Casey.

What is the latest transfer news at Sunderland during summer?

Sunderland have shown an interest in taking Chelsea defender Ishe Samuels-Smith on loan this summer, according to reports, with the Blues ready to greenlight his exit over the coming weeks.

The 19-year-old, who is capable of playing at left-back or in the heart of defence, is understood to be garnering attention from a number of clubs, with Enzo Maresca’s side eager for him to head out on a temporary agreement with a view to readying him for eventual first team involvement at Stamford Bridge.

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As per TEAMtalk, Sunderland are keeping tabs on the starlet, as are Championship duo Middlesbrough and QPR. Samuels-Smith joined Chelsea from Everton for a reported fee of around £4million in 2023, and according to former Toffees U21s boss David Unsworth, could be destined for the very top.

As quoted by TEAMtalk, he said: “Ishe is an incredibly talented young man who I know really well. A very talented left-sided defender, either left-back or centre-back, with an incredible future ahead of him.

“He’s got great parents behind him who support him. He also has a very talented brother, Odin, who is still at Everton. The next step for Ishe would maybe be to go out on loan to get exposure to first-team football – that’s if he can’t get into the Chelsea team! He’s only 18 [now 19] and is one of England’s brightest prospects, certainly at his age.”

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