Tuesday Blue

Tuesday is Blues day so this week’s Tuesday Blue is 16-year-old Orion Cala who recently signed a two-year contract with the club.

The Park Rangers prodigy featured heavily with the first team in preseason, scoring sublime goals in the friendly at Cobh Ramblers and the Munster Senior Cup tie with Rockmount. He earned his first call-up to the senior squad last May when he was an unused substitute in the 2-2 draw away to St Pat’s just five months after his 15th birthday.

The Dunmore Road native has attracted international attention too having been called up for trials with both the Republic of Ireland and Albania and is very much on the radar for both. Jon Daly also picked him out as one who had caught his eye in preseason.

A powerfully-built centre forward who scores screamers off either foot, Orion has huge potential to go far. His four cup goals helped propel the Under-17s to the Mark Farren Cup final last year and he impressed everyone with his performances for the Under-20s as a 15-year-old.

Now fully promoted to the 20s, he was very unlucky not to score a tremendous goal on Saturday only for a stunning save from the CK United goalkeeper. Orion is also part of the Transition Year programme that the club runs in partnership with SETU. With his physical strength and maturity, it is easy to forget how young he is, but the future is coming fast!