Cork City FC sign 6 of the best
Six young players at Cork City FC have earned their first steps in professional football, after signing professional contracts with the club.
All six have featured for the club’s academy, and have now committed their futures to City. The six are midfielder Cillian Murphy (ex-Holycross AFC), defender Ike Manjor-Georgewill (ex-Pike Rovers, Holycross AFC, Treaty United), striker Charlie Hanover (ex-Mallow United, Kanturk AFC, Blarney United), winger Brody Lee (ex-Killavilla, Belvedere, Shamrock Rovers), defender Donal O’Connor (ex-Avondale United) and defender Luke Downey (ex-Leeside). Murphy recently captained the Irish U17 team in friendlies while Manjor-Georgewill also featured against Iceland.
Cork City boss Ger Nash said: “As a club, we are very proud to see six academy players take the next step in their careers, as they sign their first professional contracts. They have all worked extremely hard throughout their time in the academy and have shown real quality, which I have been very impressed with. It’s a credit to the work being done by Liam Kearney and all of our academy coaches and staff. We are excited to see these lads continue their development with the first team.”
Head of Academy, Liam Kearney, also expressed his delight. “Bringing players through our academy into the first team has always been a key part of our vision at the club. These six players understand what it means to play for Cork City. This is a great moment for them and their families, and their schoolboy clubs, who played a huge part in their development.”
Kearney added: “Of the six, four of them have already been involved in a matchday squad at first team level this season, which underlines our commitment to giving young players an opportunity. I have no doubt that these players all have big futures in the game, and we are looking forward to watching them progress further.”
New contract
22 year old goalkeeper Conor Brann has signed a long-term contract with the club.
The goalkeeper joined City at the start of the year following a spell at Swindon Town, and he has kept 3 clean sheets in his five starts since breaking into the team.
He told CorkCityFC.ie: “I am really pleased to have signed a new contract with the club. I have really enjoyed my time at City and I am obviously very pleased at having broken into the team recently. I have really enjoyed working with Ger (Nash) and Nults (Mark McNulty); I am enjoying my football at the moment, and I feel like I am only going to get better.”
City boss Ger Nash said: “Conor has got an opportunity over the last month or so, and he has done really well. He’s only 22, which is young, especially for a goalkeeper, and we feel he has the potential to get even better.
“I know he is enjoying working with Mark McNulty and I think he has improved under Mark, so he deserves a lot of credit too. Tying him down on a multi-year contract is something we are very pleased about, both for now and for the future.”