Ipswich bid stalls Healy’s Hartlepool move

Colin Healy could become Roy Keane’s latest signing at Ipswich Town, it has emerged.

The Championship club sought permission to speak to Healy once it became known that Cork City were willing to sell the player and as a result his proposed move to Hartlepool has been stalled.

Healy was in Hartlepool with Denis Behan - who signed a two-year deal last night - to discuss personal terms with the League One club but news of Ipswich’s interest soon put paid to that.

Healy is now on his way to Ipswich to meet with Keane, with a spokesman for Cork City confirming that another club has been given permission to speak to the player.

Healy, 28 years of age, has 13 Ireland caps and, of course, was the player lined up to take Keane’s place with the Republic of Ireland World Cup squad in Saipan back in 2002 before Keane temporarily decided to remain with the squad.

Healy played locally with Ballincollig and Wilton United before joining Glasgow Celtic and spending five seasons with the Parkhead club, which included a loan period with Coventry.

He was then signed for Sunderland by Mick McCarthy but a twice broken leg seriously derailed his career and after brief spells with Livingston, Barnsley and Bradford City he was signed for Cork City by then manager Damien Richardson in 2007.

Healy signed a new two-year contract with Cork City at the end of last season but Cork this week accepted a bid from Hartlepool for the player before Ipswich’s interest usurped that deal.

Article courtesy of The Evening Echo newspaper.