Doyle: Cork City had great potential

Kevin Doyle reckons Cork City could have dominated Irish football for years if they had held on to the players that won the league two years ago.

The Irish striker who was home in Wexford for some cyro-therapy treatments at Whites hotel on his hamstring said that he was disappointed to see so many players moving on to pastures new.

“I lot of players seem to be have moved on since I left myself in June, 2005. I mean Neale Fenn and Danny Murphy have gone. George O’Callaghan is at Ipswich now and I expect to run across him one of these days.

“When I look back and think of the team we had that won the league, I think that was as good a team as any in the club’s history. I think it was as good as any, if not the best,” said Doyle, who left himself in mid-season for Reading.

“I think if we had managed to keep the team together we might have gone on to dominate the league for a few years but it wasn’t to be. I think that’s what happens when you are successful and teams do well.

“I think there was probably no one in Ireland that could have taken them away. I think if it’s lower that a Championship club then you have doubts about it.

“But if it’s the Premiership or say the top half of the Championship, I think you have to go if you want to try and test yourself and further your career. You have to go and do it,” he added.

Cork’s Alan Bennett and Roy O’Donovan have attracted interest from abroad and could go by the end of the month.

“I suppose when people saw me go over to Reading and we won promotion and did well in the Premiership, it’s even more so for players to think that well he’s done it and now I can have a crack at it if I get a chance.

“It’s a tough one, it’s tough for Cork because whereas they look to get the most money as well, they know the player is not going to be happy if they are not let go.

“Any player with an offer to go into cross-channel football, see it as their one chance to make it,” he added.

Meanwhile, former Irish U21 star Liam Kearney has signed back for Cork City.

The ex-Shelbourne left-winger will put pen to paper on a new two-year deal at Bishopstown tomorrow morning.

Manager Damien Richardson will hold talks with Neal Horgan, Billy Woods and Colin O’Brien later this week with a view to all three re-signing for the club.

Cork have rejected a second bid from Reading for centre-half Alan Bennett believed to be in the region of €200,000.

Article courtesy of The Evening Echo newspaper.