Midfielder Robbie Benson looks set to seal a move to Derry City. The 32-year-old, who is expected to sign a one-year deal with the Brandywell men, will bring a tremendous amount of experience to Tiernan Lynch’s squad.
Benson has won three Premier Division titles while at Dundalk and won the FAI Cup with St Patrick’s Athletic in 2021. The former Dundalk man, who is believed to be in Cork with the Derry squad for their pre-season training camp, admitted recently that he was still hungry for more success:
“I’m getting older, but I’m not too old, I played 30 games last season and I’m looking for an opportunity to be competitive,” he conceded.
“There are a couple of things in the works but nothing has been signed for definite. “But, wherever I go, I’ll be looking to prove myself. I’m hungry to compete.
“One more taste of success is what I am looking for before the end of my career and I hope to be at a club where their ambition matches mine.”
Another man likely to join the Candy Stripes in the coming days is Shrewsbury Town skipper Carl Winchester.
The Belfast man, has made more than 100 appearances for Town ever since first arriving at from Sunderland three years ago. He has spent the past 14-and-a-half years in England. He lined out for Oldham, Cheltenham, Forest Green Rovers, Sunderland and Shrewsbury, after starting out at Linfield.
Winchester, capped once for Northern Ireland, is under contract with League One side where he was voted as their player of the year last season, but speaking after The Shrews’ recent game at Leyton Orient, he conceded that living away from home has taken its toll.
“It is hard being over here with all your family back in Ireland. It is the sacrifices they make for me to have this career,” he told the Shropshire Star.
Shrewsbury entertain James McClean’s title chasing Wrexham on Thursday night in what could be Winchester’s final game for the club before making the switch to Foyleside.
If City are able to secure Winchester’s signature, he would be become the fourth Northern Ireland international to enter the dressing room joining Shane Ferguson, Gavin Whyte and Liam Boyce. In fact Derry’s new signings Boyce and Ferguson made their debut in their 1-0 friendly win over Cobh Ramblers, on Monday evening.
The duo played alongside the likes of Mark Connolly, Ciaron Harkin, Daniel Mullen, Paul McMullan and Michael Duffy, as Lynch watched his new side in action at St Colman’s Park.
Young striker Sean Patton, who had a successful loan spell with Darren Murphy’s Finn Harps last season, netted the only goal of the game against Mick McDermott’s Ramblers’ side. Derry will continue to stay in Munster for the remainder of the week as they continue to prepare for their league opener at Shelbourne on February 14th.