Healy’s City return a ‘no-brainer’

He has been from pillar to post throughout a turbulent and injury-ravaged career but Colin Healy is back where he started on Leeside and looking forward to his second stint with Cork City ahead of their return to the Airtricity Premier Division.

Capped 13 times for Ireland, the 32-year-old accepts City will be his last stop. “I won’t be going anywhere after here. I wouldn’t think so anyway.”

But he insists he’s happy to be back, two-and-a-half years after departing for Ipswich amidst City’s financial strife.

He said: “I’m delighted with things and just want to crack on with it now,” he said. “I’ve been onto Tommy [Dunne, manager] this year and last year. I know him very well. I wanted to come back and Cork were interested so it was a no-brainer really. We had a long chat and he was telling me where they were going.

“We’re back in the Premier Division, a new sponsor on board so it’s on the up. I can’t wait to start playing.”

And Healy agrees the league is an attractive proposition and a good shop window for youngsters.

“For sure it is. I’ve played in this league before and I know what it’s about. I really enjoyed myself when I was here and that’s why I came back.

“If it’s not happening for people over in England they come back, they do well and have a chance of going back over because, for example, in Cork there’s been a player go out nearly every year so there’s certainly scouts watching.”

Tipped as a possible replacement to Roy Keane over 10 years ago, Healy declared he had no regrets on a career blighted by injury.

He said: “I was out for about three years at Sunderland. There were a lot of people saying, ‘you’re finished’ but you want to prove a lot of people wrong and I got back.

“It’s a lot of hard work, especially when I was out for that long but I look after myself and I think that’s the reason why I’m still there. I’ll be playing another few years anyway.”

Meanwhile, the club announced striker David Murphy has been released back to Reading.

City take on Limerick on Saturday at Bishopstown (2pm) in a pre-season friendly, but Healy will sit out the fixture to recover from a knee injury.