Limerick confirm 15 players secured for 2014

Limerick FC have confirmed that 15 players are currently under contract for the 2014 first-team season.

So far in the off-season, Shaun Kelly, Barry Ryan, Barry Sheedy and Rory Gaffney have penned fresh deals with the club while Shane Duggan and Michael Leahy are new faces in manager Stuart Taylor’s squad.
 

This adds to nine players who were already under contract at the conclusion of the 2013 campaign – Robbie Williams, Danny Galbraith, Craig Curran, Stephen Folan, Shane Cusack, Shane Costelloe, Val Feeney, James McGrath and Darragh Rainsford.
 

Taylor is continuing to speak to players from the 2013 squad who have yet to re-sign while he is also looking at possible new additions to the club.
 

Speaking on Wednesday, Stuart said: “Things are coming along well. We’re taking our time and making sure it’s right.
 

“We’re still speaking to players from last season and we’re hoping to get them tied up soon, but we also have to be vigilant to who else is available in the league.
 

“At the moment, I’m happy with the squad. There is a good balance about it. We’ve been very selective with how we’ve done our business. I think we’ve done really good business. The players that we’ve brought in are going to add to the squad that we’ve already got.
 

“It’s important that we sign the players from last season that we want to keep because I believe that continuity will bring success. But it also comes down to affordability.
 

“I want to work with the same players again because I’ve enjoyed working with them over the past season and if we can keep this group together then we can certainly be successful going forward.
 

“There has been no rest throughout the close season in the club as a whole. We are continually looking at ways to improve the squad and the club and we’re getting there.
 

“There are a lot of new things happening, not just in terms of the first-team squad but in building relationships around the city and improving the club. A lot of work is going on behind the scenes and hopefully we will see the fruits of that in the near future.”
 

The two players who are joining the club from the ‘Right to Dream’ Academy – midfielder Prince Agyemang and goalkeeper Ali Abass – have signed contracts subject to Work Permit approval, which the club expects to receive in time for pre-season.
 

Stuart will also be keeping a close eye on the club’s Under-19 team which has a number of fantastic prospects coming through, with the likes of Tony Whitehead, Colm Murphy and Kieran Hanlon having already made their Premier Division debuts towards the end of last season.
 

Stuart added: “The Under-19s have an important part to their season coming up with three games left where they will be looking to secure their place in the promotion playoff series.
 

“It’s important for them to get into the Elite Division, because that way players are going to be tested against better quality sides every week and that will help them to progress their careers.
 

“At this club, we are always going to be looking to bring these young players through. I’m a big believer in giving youth a chance but we want to be bringing them through for the reason that they’re good enough and we’ve got to make sure that they are.
 

“We want a conveyor belt of talent. That is important for the club. If we want the club to be sustainable then we have to produce our own players. We can’t just sign players for the first team and put all our money into that. There has to be a structure.
 

“We have a lot of really good young players coming through the system at the club. We want these young people to be good characters and good professionals in our dressing room and that’s what we’re working towards. I’m looking forward to working with our younger players again in the new season.”

 

2014 Squad List (as of 11 December 2013)
Barry Ryan (GK)
Shane Cusack (GK)
Shaun Kelly (DF)
Stephen Folan (DF)
Michael Leahy (DF)
Robbie Williams (DF)
Shane Costelloe (DF)
Shane Duggan (MF)
Val Feeney (MF)
James McGrath (MF)
Darragh Rainsford (MF)
Danny Galbraith (FW)
Craig Curran (FW)
Rory Gaffney (FW)
Barry Sheedy (FW)

 

Pending Work Permit
Prince Agyemang (MF)
Ali Abass (GK)