Steven Beattie returns to Cork City

 After being away in the United States for two years, Steven Beattie has re-signed for Cork City. 

The versatile winger, who can also play as a striker and right back, returns to Leeside after a spell with Chattanooga Red Wolves in USL League One, the third tier for football in America.

Beattie was previously with Cork City for three and a half seasons, from 2015 to 2018. In those years he won all that there is to be won in Irish football and he played in both the Champions League and the Europa League qualifiers. 

He joins a City managed by his former team-mate Colin Healy who is overseeing a young team that has recently graduated from the club’s academy. 

“I am just delighted to be back,” he told the club’s media team, “It is obviously very different from 2016/17/18, but it is a new challenge and I am home. I always wanted to come back at some stage, now I am here and I want to enjoy my football again. 

“I know Colin very well from playing with him in 2015; a great man, a brilliant coach and he did a fantastic job at the academy. I just want to get started now and try to get the club back to where it belongs.

“It’s a young squad and I think that’s why Colin wanted to bring me in, because of my experience. I followed the academy closely when I was here; a lot of those young lads are now making the step-up to the first team, and there is a real bedrock of young, Cork talent here now.

"If I can help those young lads in any way I can, I will do so.

“When I left I didn’t think I would get the chance to play in Turner’s Cross again, but I saw what has gone on over the last couple of years and I just really wanted to get back and play my part in getting this club back to the Premier Division.”

Healy welcomed the signing, saying: “It’s great to have Beats back. He has been a fantastic player for the club, won a lot of trophies and he brings a lot of experience into the dressing room.

"He can play in a number of different positions; he is one of those players who can play anywhere. He will give us everything he has, and those are the kind of players we want.”

“Everybody knows him and everybody has respect for him, so he will be a massive figure inside in that dressing room. He will be one of the senior players, and he is a great addition to our squad.”

Trio commit to the Candystripes for 2021 https://t.co/daxbsHdkNxpic.twitter.com/Plu1soHquT

— Extratime.com (@ExtratimeNews) January 11, 2021