Men's football news
Written by: John
Lewes FC can confirm that we have reached an agreement in principle with Cardiff City FC for the transfer of Ollie Tanner for an undisclosed fee and he will join the Championship side for the start of the 2022/23 season.
Ollie joined the Rooks in the summer of 2021 and made an immediate impact, scoring on his debut away to Cray Wanderers. The 20-year-old made a total of 35 appearances for the Rooks, scoring 13 times including memorable efforts against Margate (which won our goal of the season award), Worthing and Merstham.
After significant interest from Premier League and Championship clubs during the January transfer window, a number of clubs tracked Ollie’s progress during the second half of the season.
Cardiff City contacted the Club in May and invited Ollie to train with them where they were impressed with him and negotiated and agreed terms with both Club and player.
Ollie is naturally sad to leave The Dripping Pan but knows this is a huge opportunity: “It has been a great year at Lewes – it is such a great club. The fans have supported the team, and me personally unconditionally and that will always stay with me. It is a special club and I will never forget my time here”.
Manager Tony Russell said: “This time last year, Ollie got released from a step 1 club. His story is an incredible one, and I’m so happy to have played a small part in it. He has had to deal with a lot this season but yet nothing fazes him. I have no doubt he will go on to great things; I’m so proud of him. He has been a pleasure to work with, I look forward to watching the next part of his footballing life. He will be missed both on and off the pitch”.
Whilst losing such a player like Ollie is a blow for Tony Russell and the club, it does demonstrate the work the management team have done in developing Ollie, amongst others, after being released by a club at a higher level.
Lewes FC Chair Stuart Fuller commented “Ollie’s talent has been there for all to see on the pitch, but few see how mature he is off the pitch and this move is the next step in what promises to be a great career. It has been a pleasure to have him at Lewes and we will certainly look forward to seeing his progress in the Championship”
We will publish a more in-depth interview with Ollie and his story of an amazing year in the coming days.
From everyone at the Club, we’d like to thank Ollie for bringing us many a memorable moment in the red and black with his special talent and wish him all the best in this exciting next step in his career.
Photo credits: James Boyes