Cabinteely's Michael Kelly eyeing return to regular first-team football after English odyssey

Highly-rated goalkeeper Michael Kelly has his eyes set on a return to regular first-team football after enduring a frustrating 2019.

Kelly spent the final few months of last season at Bohemians, after spending the previous ten months in England.

His most recent competitive senior appearance came in August with Bohs – and he is relishing his return to competitive action.

“Obviously, it was a great experience and an opportunity that I couldn’t turn down (in England),” Kelly told extratime.ie.

“I think I’ve progressed as a player and a person. It’s all about playing games for me now to try and push on and take each game as it comes with Cabinteely.

“It was nice coming back (to play games). I hadn’t played a lot of games in the last year, so I was a little bit rusty on Friday against Shels, but I felt an awful lot better on the Saturday.

“It’s just nice to get out playing games. Senior games specifically, they matter and there’s something behind them so it’s nice to be in that kind of an environment again.”

And on his return to Stradbrook – a club who he has spent two seasons with previously; “I’m delighted to be back.

“I had a chat with Pat there a couple of weeks ago, and after everything he said with the new sponsor, and stuff like that at the club – I was delighted to come back on board and start getting some games to try and kick on again and see what happens for the season.

“I’ve played with Cabo before, so I know the way we play. It’s nice coming back into the same environment (that I left).  

“The likes of Conor (Keeley) and a couple of the other boys who have been here before so it’s familiar faces.

“The coaching staff all are familiar faces so it’s a club I’ve enjoyed playing for and I’m delighted to be back.

“The team did very well last year. We haven’t really spoken too much about it – we’ve kind of been focusing on each game as it comes so far with pre-season and just working hard.

“Realistically, we want to do as well as we can. If that is promotion, or the playoffs – whatever it is – we want to do as well as we can and do the people in the club and behind the scenes justice, so we’ll see happens,” he finished.