Buckley extends contract with Cork City

Garry Buckley has extended his contract with Cork City FC until the end of the 2015 season.

The midfielder has played in a more advanced role this season, a move which has seen him net seven goals in 23 league appearances. Speaking to CorkCityFC.ie, the 21 year old said that he has enjoyed his new position.

“It has changed my game and I am happy with that. I have an eye for a goal and John sees that, so hopefully I can continue to improve on that next season as well. I’m absolutely delighted to have signed back. I started the season well, and feel I have done well this year, so I am hoping to continue that to the end of this season.”

European qualification is a real possibility for City next season if they can maintain their current good form, and Buckley said that the lure of playing in continental competition was a big factor in his decision to sign back.

“The club has not had European football in a while, so I am really looking forward to that. Teams will know what to expect from us next season and it will be very tight, but hopefully we can stay up there again.”

Commenting on Buckley re-signing, City manager John Caulfield said he was pleased to have midfielder back on board and made it clear that his preference is to tie more players down for next season in the coming weeks.

“It’s great that Garry has already signed for next season. When I came into the club, nearly all of the squad were out of contract which was a difficult and unsettling situation. My plan this year is that we would try to get all of the current squad, who want to be here next season, tied up before the end of the season.

“Garry has huge potential. We have changed his position this year and used him in a more forward role, where he has done really well; he has scored a good number of goals and we see him as a huge player for us next season.”

The City boss was keen to emphasise the bright future he believes the club has, while also underlining the importance of the remainder of the current season.

“From my point of view, I think the next couple of years will be very exciting for Cork City FC. It is a very exciting time for any player to be involved in this club. We have had fantastic crowds this year, the biggest we’ve had in years and we are miles ahead of everyone else in the league from that point of view.

“We are talking to the guys at the moment, but it is a situation where we have to be very careful. I don’t like discussing these things close to matches when we are at a crucial time in the season; we’re trying to box off Europe, we are still competing at the top of the table and we have an opportunity to win the league title, so I don’t want to distract guys.

“That is the way it is going to be until the end of the season; we will work on getting guys signed back every week or every second week, and by the end of the season I would expect the majority will be. I don’t want the guys to lose their focus: the league title is in front of us, European football is in front of us and we must hold our heads for that.”