Rafter swaps Candystripes for Rebels

John Caulfield’s foray into the transfer market continued today as Cork City confirmed the signing of striker Michael Rafter on a one year contract.

 

The 21 year old joins the club after his contract at Derry City expired, and the Leesiders will be hoping that he will bring with him they type of form that saw him score 12 league goals for the Candystripes in 2013.

 

The Tipperary native is the fourth new addition to the Rebel Army squad, following the signings of Anthony Elding, Darren Murphy and Billy Dennehy. It is expected that Caulfield will now concentrate on retaining the bulk of the 2013 squad.

 

The 21-year-old, who has been capped at underage level for the Republic of Ireland, toldCorkCityFC.ie that he has hopes of a good season with the club in 2014: “I am delighted to have signed for Cork City; it’s a privilege to join this club. It’s a big club, and there is a lot of history of Tipperary players coming down here and doing well.”

 

“I have been very impressed with the way John (Caulfield) goes about his business; he is certainly bringing in winners this year. With the players who are coming in, and if John can keep the base of the team from last year, I think we will be up there with the top squads in the league. This club needs to be back in Europe, so we want to be competing for the top four.”

 



Commenting on his latest signing, manager John Caulfield highlighted Rafter’s ability to find the back of the net on a regular basis: “Michael got twelve goals from just nineteen starts last season with Derry. He has shown the potential he has, so we just need to get more consistency from him.”

 

“He’s only 21, he’s a very attacking player and we are delighted to have them. Over the years we have had a lot of Tipperary guys, such as (Stephen) Napier, (Ollie) Cahill and (Kelvin) Flanagan, who have done well at the club, and I am hoping he will be a big success for us.”

 

    About Brian Fitzgerald

    Brian Fitzgerald is a Dublin-based reporter who has followed Cork City since the mid 1990's. Brian can be contacted at brifitz@gmail.com or followed on twitter @B_Twitzgerald View Full Profile