Former Crawley Town midfielder Ronan Darcy joins Chesterfield on loan

Former Crawley Town midfielder Ronan Darcy has joined Chesterfield on a season-long loan from Wigan Athletic.

Ronan Darcy (centre) with the Play-off final trophy. Photo by Paul Harding/Getty Images

The 24-year-old moved to Wigan in January 2024 and made 14 appearances for the Latics. However, he's now been allowed to leave in search of more regular first-team football.

Darcy becomes Chesterfield's ninth signing of the summer as the Spireites prepare to mount a serious challenge for promotion from League Two.

A product of the Bolton Wanderers academy, Darcy made 77 appearances in all competitions for Crawley across two seasons after arriving from Swindon Town. He scored eight goals and registered 13 assists, playing a key role in the club's 2023–24 promotion campaign.

His standout moment came in the first leg of the League Two play-off semi-final, where he scored in a memorable 3–0 win over MK Dons.

In recent days, some Crawley fans had hoped to see Darcy return to West Sussex. Instead, he'll now line up against his former club - with the away fixture scheduled for the end of this month and the return at the Broadfield Stadium set for February.