O’Malley quits as he dislikes playing in England

Conor O’Malley will quit Posh and professional football in the summer after insisting he’s never enjoyed playing in England.

The 25 year-old goalkeeper dropped his personal bombshell while self-isolating in his native Ireland.

He has asked Posh to allow his contract to expire naturally on June 30 rather than be extended until the 201920 season ends as is likely to happen with most professional players.

Posh have confirmed they will grant the player’s request as he is now third choice ‘keeper behind Christy Pym and Aaron Chapman.

O’Malley turned down the chance to go out on loan just before football was shutdown.

He intends to return to work in the financial sector as an actuary, a line of work he undertook before moving to Posh from Irish League St Patrick’s Athletic in August, 2017 for a reported £100k.

“I made the decision across the last year as I wasn’t enjoying football,” O’Malley said. “In fact I haven’t really enjoyed it since I went to England.

“When the manager told me he didn’t want me it was actually a relief. I wasn’t in the squad so I would be going back to Peterborough for nothing.

“I would prefer to end my contract as normal as I’m in a different situation (to other players) as I’m not wanted.

“I was meant to go out on emergency loan last month and I turned it down.

“They (Posh) were surprised. It was a perfect move as I was going to play, but it just wasn’t what I needed at the time.

“The League of Ireland isn’t really a long-term career choice so I would prefer take six months off.

“Within a couple of months, I might be bored, but I can have a good career doing something else. That’s what made it so easy to make this decision.”

O’Malley completed a maths degree while he was playing with St Pats and went on to gain work experience as an actuarial consultant. Even after he moved to England, he continued studying for his Chartered Financial Analyst qualifications.

O’Malley made 34 appearances for Posh, but hasn’t played for the first team for over 12 months.

He earned a reputation as a penalty-saving expert. He saved three in an FA Cup shootout at Bradford City in 2018.

Conor O’Malley