Galway United sign Sligo keeper Nugent as Winn pens new deal

Galway United have confirmed the signing of Ciaran Nugent and Conor Winn as their first team goalkeepers for 2017.

American-born Nugent arrives from Sligo Rovers, with whom he spent the 2016 season as back-up to Micheál Schlingermann.

The 25-year-old made eight appearances during the year, including each of the final seven games after Schlingermann suffered a season-ending injury, keeping six clean sheets along the way.

Massachussetts native Nugent played college football in the US with Lehigh Mountain Hawks before joining Harrisburg City Islanders in the United Soccer League in 2015.

"Coming in at Sligo Rovers and playing like I did helped showcase myself,” Nugent told the club's official website.

“Now I'm coming to Galway United to help the team to do well in the League. If I can do well, hopefully my teammates can do well also and we can take the club right up the League table.

"I've heard a lot of good things from other players around the League about the squad and Galway. I'm excited to move to a club with aspirations of doing well this year."

24-year-old Winn faces into his fifth season in total with the Tribesmen, and third in succession having joined from Finn Harps ahead of the 2015 season.

The Galway native began his career with local side Mervue United before joining Galway for the first time at the beginning of 2010.

After the club left the league at the end of 2011, Winn signed for Shamrock Rovers, where he spent a year-and-a-half without making a senior appearance before signing for Dundalk.

One season at Harps followed before the 6'6 stopper returned to Galway to link up with Tommy Dunne's Galway United.

"I'm delighted to get Conor Winn back in,” said Galway boss Shane Keegan.

"By his own admission, Conor probably didn't have as strong a season as he would've liked last year. Look back to the season before that, he had a fantastic year. He's determined to get back to his best.

"By bringing in Ciaran Nugent, who impressed so much with Sligo Rovers at the tail end of last year, it then means that Conor knows he has a fight on his hands. The two players know they're going to be fighting tooth and nail over pre-season to see which one of them can stick their hand up.

"Between the two of them, I think we've got two really strong goalkeepers, who will push one another all the way and hopefully we will be very good in that department this year."