EVAN Deasy hit the headlines for his exploits in the 1v1 Mas+ Messi tournament in Miami in 2025, but he is determined to make his mark with Cobh Ramblers this season.

With the new League of Ireland First Division campaign kicking off soon – Cobh are at home to Wexford on February 13th – Deasy can’t wait to get going.

‘I think winning the Messi tournament has made me realise more of what I can achieve,’ Deasy explained.

‘I know it was a one-v-one tournament and that’s not the same as 11v11, but if I told someone five months ago that Messi was going to crown me, they’d be like, “are you crazy?” It goes to show that you can do so many things that you think are not possible.

‘That has given me more confidence on the pitch, just to have more belief in myself. If I ever doubt myself, I can just think of something like that or anything else that I have achieved.’

Overall, Deasy (18) was handed just 59 minutes with Cobh last season, 58 of those coming in a home 2-1 loss to Dundalk. But the Bandon teenager is confident of making an impression this season and catching the eye of new Cobh boss Fran Rockett.

‘I’m going to keep doing the same thing that I have always been doing,’ Deasy insisted.

‘I just wasn’t given opportunities last year. I personally think if I did have them, I’d be able to show more. You can’t show too much in five-minute spells twice in a whole season. I’m just going to keep doing what I’m doing.

‘I think the coaches believe in me. I have known Fran, the manager, since I came to Ireland when I was 15 years old. He has a lot of belief in me and I hope I can show him why he has that belief.

‘The main aim is to get more minutes, score some goals, hopefully start, and do the best I can every time I’m on the pitch. That’s all I can do.’

Evan Deasy was presented with the Más+ by Messi 1v1 World Crown Tournament by Lionel Messi.

Cobh Ramblers were impressive for much of last season, finishing in second place and seven points clear of third. The play-off loss to Treaty (2-1 on aggregate) was a shock, considering Cobh had finished 21 points ahead of them in the regular league phase.

Ahead of the new season, Cobh have signed a new striker, Waweru Wilson from Sligo Rovers, and Deasy feels he will learn a lot from a player who lined out in the Premier Division as recently as last season.

‘There are so many good players we have already signed like Wilson and (Rhys) Kelly-Noonan. We are already building great partnerships and it will be great to keep pushing each other at each training session. We hope to make each other better after each training session or games. To have them there, especially Wilson who has played in the Premier Division, and to ask him things and get advice, that’s great to have,’ Deasy said.

‘There are definitely a lot of changes. A lot of new signings and a lot of people gone. There is a lot of togetherness already even though we haven’t even played a match yet. We had a team-bonding session over the weekend and we’re just having a great time. Hopefully now we can perform on the pitch and that our team chemistry works out on the pitch as well,’ Deasy added.

This year there will be at least four Cork derbies against Cork City to look forward to for Cobh and for Deasy. He made his Cobh debut against City, so it’s always a game that stands out.

‘We’re definitely looking forward to that. I made my debut at 16 in the Cork derby. It was in Turner’s Cross and there were so many people there. The whole atmosphere was unbelievable. That would be a really cool experience. Hopefully to win and to play in that environment would be really exciting,’ he explained.

With Ardfield man John O’Donovan moving from Cobh to UCC to focus on his degree, Deasy and Cork City’s Charlie Lyons are flying the West Cork flag in League of Ireland men’s soccer in 2026. It’s something Deasy can look at with pride.

‘It definitely puts us on the map and I think it has done so for a very long time with different players. Obviously, I’m American but I also come from West Cork. I was born in Cork and lived in Bandon for the first three years of my life. To put West Cork on the map is unbelievable. Not just me but the likes of Charlie Lyons, John O’Donovan and even Conor Hourihane a long time ago,’ Deasy added, keen to grab his opportunities in the season ahead.