Healy completes Sunderland switch
August 24, 2008
David Healy has finally sealed a transfer to Roy Keane’s Sunderland from Fulham in recent days. The 29 year old striker, Northern Ireland’s record goal-scorer with 34 international goals was unsettled for 12 months with premiership side Fulham, playing in very few games in the 2007/8 season and starting even fewer. After helping the side narrowly avoid relegation to the Championship along with 3 northern ireland counterparts Aaron Hughes, Chris Baird and Steven Davis (on loan to rangers at the time), manager Roy Hodgson bought several new strikers including Bobby Zamora and Andy Johnson, giving Healy very little scope for coveted first team appearances.
Although Healy has worked miracles at international level often, he has frequently struggled to impress in the day to day environment of club football. After starting out at Manchester United, he has also represented Preston North End, Leeds United, Fulham, and now has the opportunity to prove himself at club level in the top league in England. It is now thought Healy may be able to gain valuable first team experience under once Manchester United team mate Roy Keane, however a lack of games has affected his fitness and he rarely lasts the entire 90 minutes. Healy has the quality of a top level striker of course, and he has proven that on the international stage, however as he is 29 this may be his final opportunity to put down a marker as a club player.
Manager Keane has spoken highly of Healy and this gives fans of the striker hope of starting places instead of the usual frustration of seeing their hero on the bench , or sometimes not even in the squad! Healy is not the type of player who can run rings around players and make a sudden impact on any game, however he is a lethal finisher who needs a run of games to establish himself as the superb talent he is. Hopefully with patience from the fans and Keane, Healy can finally prove his doubters wrong and impress in arguably the best league in Europe.
Aside from Healy, Northern Ireland midfielder Steven Davis has finalised a dream £3 million move to his childhood heroes Rangers, linking up with fellow international striker Kyle Lafferty. After being on loan since January, Davis became a crowd favourite at Ibrox with his energetic, attacking and entertaining performances, including impressive displays in the UEFA Cup, Scottish Cup, CIS Insurance Cup and the SPL.
It was known that Davis would relish a permanent move to be agreed with Rangers, however he still seemed to feature in Roy Hodgson’s plans in the centre of midfield at Fulham. A deal was expected to go through since the opening day of the Premiership however, when 23 year old Davis was left out of the starting eleven. With much needed money arriving at Ibrox through the sale of 2007/8 player of the season Carlos Cuellar, Rangers had no second thoughts in buying Davis.
An exciting season beckons with two young Northern Ireland stars at the centre of one of the “big two” clubs in Scotland. The main man Healy is enjoying a fresh start at the highest level, plus plenty of talent will be on display for fans to keep an eye on in the Premiership and SPL, including Warren Feeney on loan at Dundee, George McCartney in defence at West Ham, not to mention the duo of Northern Ireland skipper Aaron Hughes and Chris Baird remaining at Fulham.
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