Record transfer fee for league of Ireland player

ST PATRICK’S Athletic have agreed the transfer of Mason Melia to Tottenham Hotspur for an undisclosed fee, which is a record transfer fee for a League of Ireland player.

Mason, who turns 18 in September, will remain at Richmond Park for the 2025 League of Ireland season, and will move to Tottenham on January 1, 2026.

Having made his senior debut for the club in May 2023, Melia had made 54 appearances so far, scoring 10 times.

Mason is the youngest scorer in St Patrick’s Athletic and League of Ireland history, and he broke his own record twice as a 15-year-old.

He is also the youngest ever league starter for St Pat’s.

Melia joined the St Pat’s Academy aged 14 in January 2022 from Bray Wanderers and quickly progressed, playing for the U15s, U17s and U19s in his first season in The Academy.

His goal against Wexford in the Leinster Senior Cup in February 2023 saw him replace Kian Corbally as the youngest senior scorer before he achieved the league record a few months later!

Mason became our youngest ever League debutant when he came off the bench in a 3-0 victory over Drogheda United at Richmond Park in May 2023, aged 15 years, 7 months and 20 days old, replacing Sam Curtis as our youngest ever senior player in the League.

He scored his first league goal in a 7-0 win against UCD on May 31st at Richmond Park, aged 15 years, 9 months and 8 days old.

That goal made him the youngest ever scorer in League of Ireland history, and the youngest ever St Patrick’s Athletic league scorer, just a few weeks before he sat his Junior Cert.

One of Mason’s best moment in a St Pat’s shirt so far was scoring the winning penalty in an FAI Cup tie in Derry in the second round in August 2023, still aged 15, he stepped up to score what turned out to be winner.

The Ireland underage international came off the bench in our 2023 FAI Cup final win against Bohemians in front of over 41,000 fans at Aviva Stadium, becoming the youngest ever player to play in an FAI Cup Final as The Saints went on the lift the trophy.

Melia signed a 3 year professional contract with the club in November 2023, just a couple of months after his 16th birthday and impressed during our 2024 European campaign as we made it to the cusp of Conference League/Group stage.

The 17-year-old was named 2024 PFAI Young Player of the Year and was also crowned St Patrick’s Athletic Young Player of the Year last season.

Sporting Director Ger O’Brien said: “We are delighted to agree a deal with Tottenham Hotspur for Mason Melia.

“When we recruited Mason in 2022 we knew we had signed an incredible talent.

“He has been fantastic during his three years at the club, and we’re delighted for Mason that he’ll be making the move to the Premier League early next year.

“Mason has really developed, technically, physically and mentally and I’d like to thank all of the coaches who have worked with him in our Academy and also with the First Team over the last three years.

“Everyone at the club is proud of Mason, it was special to see him come on to the St Pat’s winning team in 2023, where he became the youngest ever player to play in an FAI Cup final”.