Ger Lyttle boosts squad with three new additions
SLIGO Rovers manager Ger Lyttle has further boosted his squad for the 2018 season with three additions in the last few days.
Winger Caolan McAleer joins from Finn Harps, David Cawley re-joins the club two years after departing, and Adam Wixted joins from Drogheda United. McAleer was the first new signing made by Gerard Lyttle for the squad for 2018 after a fine season with Finn Harps.
The 24-year-old said: “I’m delighted to be here. When the approach was made by Sligo Rovers, I was really happy because it has everything that I want. Now I’m here I want to kick on and make my mark here.”
“The main thing for me was playing games last season, I played nearly 30 in the league. I had a good season. I wanted to get more goals but I chipped in towards the end and I got assists. That’s my game - contributing to goals - so overall I was pleased.
“It’s a very big club here. The facilities are different class. It’s a full-time set-up and that’s what any player wants and especially at my age. There is a lot of history at the club. Since I’ve come here today I’ve had a look around and you can just see everything is in place to do well. It’s a good atmosphere around the place as well.
“I want to be a player to get the club up the table. I’m not here to make up numbers. I’m here to play and help the team out. I want Sligo Rovers to get back on track to where it should be. That’s the top half of the table.
“There are players here and changes happening that can push Sligo Rovers on to the top half of the table and I’m thrilled to be part of that.”
David Cawley was on the books at Sligo Rovers during the socalled golden era.
The Ballina native joined the Bit O’Red in the league winning season in 2012, and went on to win the FAI Cup and Setanta Cup with the club. For the 26-year-old, this is a homecoming of sorts.
“I’m delighted to be back. It was a difficult season last season, it’s nice to be all put to bed early into the off-season. We’ve had a lot of success here over the four years I’ve been here. Not so much since I’ve left, now I’m back I’d like to be pushing up the table with the club again and fighting for honours again.
“It is the closest club to me. There’s so much history here with me being here for so long, it does feel like coming home. I’m not from Sligo but it’s the closest club to me and I’m just delighted to be back.”
With Galway United making the drop to the First Division, an approach from Sligo Rovers was too good an opportunity for Cawley to turn down. “I wanted to be playing premier football, when Sligo called it was a no-brainer.
“Last season was disappointing. We knew it was going to be difficult with three teams going down, we didn’t expect Pats or Sligo to be involved in that. When it came to it we just fell short and it was just disappointing for everyone.
“We had too many draws, and it took too many games to get a win. You’re fighting a losing battle there. Towards the second half of the season we kicked on a bit but so did the teams around us, like Sligo and Pats really turned a corner after the summer window. The three teams were the best in form at the time, even had a better points tally than Cork. We just fell short.”
Having had a difficult year at St. Patrick’s Athletic in 2016, Cawley is hoping to get back to enjoying his football again.
“Pats didn’t go to plan, it was difficult football wise and being away - there was a lot of travelling involved. I’m closer to home. I’m looking forward to enjoying football again at Rovers.
“This is a big club. We’ve had a difficult couple of seasons. There’s no way this club should be down there near the bottom. It was important to stay up. It’s a big footballing town as everyone knows and I don’t see why we can’t push on and aim for Europe.”
Rovers manager Ger Lyttle said he brought in the two players having been impressed by both when he’s seen them play.
“I brought them in first and foremost for their ability. Anytime I’ve seen both players playing they’ve always stood out for me. Caolan McAleer is an old fashioned type winger, he’s very direct. He’s done really well for Finn Harps, he’s a passionate kid. He wants to do well, he wants to progress. He wants to better himself, and he’s hungry for success. He’s the type of player we’re targeting. Finn Harps were reluctant to let him go. They tried to put up a fight and keep him, and rightly so. I’m looking forward to working with Caolan. He’s coming here with a good background.
“David has been here before, he’s won the league with Sligo Rovers. He comes here with a wealth of experience but also he’s a top player in my opinion. Anytime I’ve watched him he’s done very well. He had a little blip in his career when he left here and went to St. Pats but going on last year’s performances and speaking to a few people he was right up there.”
Lyttle echoed the sentiments of Cawley, and said his signature was a no-brainer for both parties.
“I’m lead to believe that he was meant to come here last year. When he became available he was one of the players on my list that I wanted to speak to. I spoke to him and told him what we’re trying to do here and he was impressed. It was a no-brainer for both parties. I’m delighted to have him. He comes with great leadership skills as well, he knows the league inside out, hopefully this year he’ll be at a team at the top end of the table rather than the other end.
“I want to bring in players who can play football and what I mean by that is players who can play nice attractive football, possession, attacking, know-how players and he fits into that mould along with players we already have. I think it’s a great addition to the team. I think we’ll benefit going forward.”
Lyttle says he wants players on board who feel as though they have something to prove.
“I want hungry players at this club. I don’t want players coming here for a jolly up and ‘it’s a nice wee club Sligo Rovers, with lovely great supporters’. I don’t want that. I want players coming here to prove a point, I want players coming here to want to win things and be successful and obviously coming into the first team, and fighting for their places. I don’t want people coming in and being happy just sitting on the bench and making up the squad. The players we’re bringing in have a point to prove.”
On Monday, the club announced that former Drogheda man Adam Wixted was the latest player to join.
“Adam is a kid that has always impressed me anytime I’ve seen him throughout the season. He comes with great recommendation from people I respect in the game. He fits into the mould, he fits into the budget, he fits into the hungry player bracket that wants to succeed and wants to do well and obviously wants to play full-time football. I’m really looking forward to Adam, he has a lovely left foot and he scored a couple of goals last year for Drogheda, got their young player of the year.”
Lyttle has been adamant for some time that he wants to sign players who know the league, and these three players fit into that bracket: “That’s important that we have players that know the league, it’s difficult to try and get them players in the league because you’re competing with other teams, to try and get in first. We’ve had other targets and we haven’t been successful with them, lucky enough we were in early with these players. Three good signings for the club.”
The former Cliftonville boss has made no secret of the fact that he will chase the league’s best players, even if they might not be interested.
“It’s stressful at times trying to manage everything in terms of the budget, and the players and being realistic in terms of, personally I target the best players in the league, I make no bones about it and I’m not embarrassed about it. They might turn their nose up at Sligo Rovers because we just stayed up and we were fighting relegation but we’re looking at players who could have a future here not just next season but the next few seasons and building a solid squad. It’s hard. You want the best players, but they come with price tags and sometimes we don’t have that budget.”
New signing Wixted says he can now focus fully on his football: “I’m delighted I caught Gerard’s attention. I’m really looking forward to bringing what I can to the team. When I first came back to England I had spells with Drogheda and Bohemians. I ended up going back to Drogheda for two years and we got promoted. It was a positive thing to get Players’ Player of the Year for me personally but it wasn’t a good season for the club. I did enough to catch Gerard’s eye which I’m delighted about. I still feel I have a lot more to prove and this opportunity is perfect for that. My goal since I’ve come back from England has been to get back to full-time football. It’s been difficult juggling full-time work. Now I can focus fully on my football, gym and everything else now.
“I always knew when Gerard made the call that deep down this was the move for me. I really couldn’t refuse it. There’s good competition here already. It will drive players on in each training session, it will ensure no slacking. There’s a good group of players here but I’ll work my hardest because I want to play every week.
Rovers are currently in negotiations with Finn Harps defender Ethan Boyle, and are expected to sign him later in the week.
Having spoken to Rovers, Ronan Murray is not expected to join the club, with other offers on the table.
The new home jersey will launch in the second week of December with the Christmas store in Barton Smith’s open from the first week of the December, with new merchandise also on sale. Season tickets will also be on sale there.