LOAN VIEW: DARA COSTELLOE

This week’s ‘Loan View’ sees us catch up with forward Dara Costelloe who is spending the 2023/24 season on loan at with St Johnstone

Dara Costelloe believes spending a season-long loan in the Scottish Premier League will ‘definitely benefit’ the Irishman and is enjoying the challenge of coming up against the ‘physicality’ across the league.

The 20-year-old, who featured six times for the Clarets last season, joined St Johnstone in August and is ‘loving’ his second loan move after spending the half of last season on loan in League Two with Bradford City.

Costelloe explained the benefits of playing on a regular basis for the Scottish side and recalls on the challenge of coming up against a challenging Aberdeen defence.

The young striker said: “I’m loving it here; it’s been really good so far and I see it as a really good stepping stone for me in my career.

“It’s definitely going to help me playing regularly and finding my form up here. I just want to make the most out of my time and benefit as much as I can.

“Score as many goals as I can, get as many assists as I can and try help the team finish as high as possible in the table.

“Hopefully I can just keep doing as well as I can and then come back to Burnley after this season as a different player for the better and show the Club what I can do.”

On the physicality of the SPL, Costelloe added: “The standard of football is really good. I think the Scottish League is a good quality and I’ve come up against some really tough defenders.

“It’s a physical league. I remember against Aberdeen they had really big centre-halves and they gave us a really difficult afternoon to be fair.”

Costelloe’s first game for St Johnstone was a trip to Celtic Park and the Ireland U21 international who grew up as a Celtic supporter, relished the experience.

“It was brilliant. Being a Celtic fan myself, it was a great experience for me.

“They have a huge stadium and fanbase, so to experience that was class, especially in my first game.”

Costelloe moved north of the border three months ago and is settling in just fine in Scotland.

“I live on my own, but I absolutely love it! The people are top drawer and it’s such a nice place.

“There’s lots to do being just outside Edinburgh, it’s a great place.”