Beeney signs permanently for Sligo Rovers after leaving Chelsea

Sligo Rovers have confirmed that goalkeeper Mitchell Beeney has signed until the end of the season after leaving Chelsea.

The 22-year-old was brought into the Showgrounds on loan at the start of the season by Gerard Lyttle and has done fantastically well since arriving over in the west.

The towering goalkeeper, who played his youth football with Gillingham and most recently at Chelsea, hasn’t taken long to establish himself as number one and recently saw his main competition Micheál Schlingermann leave the club.

“When I sat down with the manager, he said the offer was there to have my future at Sligo Rovers and it was a no-brainer for me,” Beeney told the club's official website.

“There is a great dressing-room of lads there and the people around The Showgrounds are really helpful.

“The challenge for me is to reward the faith the club and manager have shown in me and it’s nice to hear that he thinks I can do so well. I want to prove him right and I think I can.

“We had a few clean sheets recently but we also haven’t got the results our performances have deserved.

“I’d like to help the club get up the table and I’m delighted my future is here in Sligo for this season and next.” 

Lyttle added: “This is another important move for us. We speak about building a quality squad over a long period of time and this is a big piece of that.

“I think on his performances recently Mitchell is proving to be right up there with the best goalkeepers in the league and he can go on to be the very best.

“He gambled coming here to be truthful, he didn’t know much about the league and he has to be respected for that because it was a big move to make.

“It’s really paid off for him and the club and it’s a good example to players of what first-team football can do and how it brings you on.

“Mitchell loves playing here; he loves the supporters and the environment around the club. 

“Over the next 18 months I want to see him keep improving, building on the talent he has and he’s got the application to do so."