Former Lincoln City defender Hayden Cann is leaving Derry City despite helping his side to Europa League qualification.
Cann’s departure was confirmed in a wider announcement that also named Robbie Benson and Shane Ferguson, but for us, the story is all about a player who spent more than a decade tied to the Imps and came through every stage of our system before forging a career across several loan spells and then the League of Ireland.
Cann joined us at just eight, progressing through the academy before making his first team debut in the EFL Trophy against Mansfield Town in October 2020. He signed his professional deal the next day, a three-year contract that underlined how highly the club valued his development.
His early senior minutes came through the usual route, with spells at Gainsborough Trinity and Lincoln United helping him adjust to senior football and sharpening the physical side of his game at a time when competition for places at our end was fierce.
By the summer of 2023, he had earned a new contract and went on loan to Peterborough Sports, only to be recalled mid-season before being sent out again, this time to Drogheda United alongside Oisin Gallagher. His time in Ireland was followed by a move to Dundalk, where he featured in a difficult campaign that ended with relegation.
Even so, he had shown enough to earn another opportunity in the league, and in February 2025 he signed for Derry City after a successful trial. Cann settled quickly and made 26 appearances across all competitions. His side finished second to Shamrock Rovers, but it wasn’t enough for him to be retained.
“Comings and goings are part of football, and these lads were part of as honest and hardworking a dressing room as you could wish for,” said manager Tiernan Lynch.
“They gave everything in training and were ready to go when they were needed to step up. I want to thank them sincerely for their efforts and wish them every success going forward”.
The end of the Irish season also sees another former Imp on the move – Elicha Ahui‘s loan spell with Drogheda ends, meaning he returns to England to link up with Walsall in League Two.