Shelbourne Football Club's goalkeeper, Scott van der Sluis, has taken a surprising career detour, trading the soccer field for the romantic pursuits of the reality TV show "Love Island." The club announced his departure on Thursday, confirming that Van der Sluis requested and was granted a release from his contract to participate in the popular British dating show.

Shelbourne's head coach, Damien Duff, reacted to the news with a touch of humor, stating, "I was shocked and saddened that Scott chose a villa in Mallorca full of beautiful, single women over myself the staff and the players." Duff continued, more seriously, "All jokes aside, I thank Scott for his services to Shelbourne FC, and we all wish him the very best for the future."

The 22-year-old Van der Sluis joined Shelbourne in June 2022, making his debut in August during an FAI Cup match. He renewed his contract for the 2023 season shortly after. A Welsh native, Van der Sluis has also represented his country at the youth international level.

In his own statement, Van der Sluis expressed gratitude to Shelbourne FC, saying, "I’ve loved my time at Shels, football is all I’ve ever done, all I’ve ever known. So this is a new and exciting opportunity for a change-up in life." He added, "Shels are a great club going in the right direction and I look forward to seeing what the lads can achieve. Shels is my club, I’ll be cheering on the lads as a fan when I leave the villa."