Manchester United transfer news: New signing Lee O'Connor reacts following Red Devils switch

Manchester United's latest signing Lee O'Connor has revealed that it was an easy decision to join the Red Devils after they showed interest in securing his services owing to their stature in the game and his desire to play at the highest level. The Republic of Ireland U16 international, who was signed from Waterford club Villa FC, will join up with the club's academy and is expected to begin training in July.

Nicky Butt, who was appointed academy chief earlier in the year, had already indicated that they will begin strengthening their youth setup before the end of the season. Lee O'Connor was their second signing after Matthew Olosunde, a United States U19 international who joined them from Duke University.

The 15-year-old full-back, who was named Republic of Ireland's U15 player of the year is keen to play for the United first-team and believes the club would have signed him had they not seen the potential in him to do so. He will become the second from his country on the club's books with Jimmy Dunne already on their roster since July 2014. The duo will hope to emulate the success achieved by compatriot and former Red Devils defender John O'Shea, who won five league titles and a Champions League before leaving the club for Sunderland.

"I suppose for me in the end it wasn't a very difficult decision to make. From the moment I went over to Manchester United, I just knew that there was no point me thinking about signing for any other club and I always wanted to go there," O'Connor told Waterford's News & Star, as quoted by the Manchester Evening News.

"I want to develop as a football player and I want to become the best player that I can be by signing for one of the biggest clubs in world football. It was the best place for me to go."

"It's the place with the best coaches and the best facilities so in that way, it was easy. When I went over to Manchester United I was lucky enough to train with the likes of Marcus Rashford and I've met many of the top players but the thing is I've signed for Manchester United in the hope of playing for the first-team," the young full back explained.

"I'm going there because I want to play football. I want to play for the first-team of Manchester United and I'll be honest, I wouldn't be making this move unless I felt that I was good enough. I don't think that Manchester United would want me to sign for them either if that's what they didn't want me to do."