Rovers complete deal for Beeney
GOALKEEPER Mitchell Beeney has agreed to sign for Sligo Rovers from Chelsea on a full-time basis from July 1st.
The 22-year-old had been on loan at Rovers since February and has established himself as number one in the Showgrounds, replacing former keeper Micheál Schlingermann as Rovers’ first choice. He will join on a contract until the end of the 2019 season.
Speaking having signed the deal, Beeney said: “When I sat down with the manager, he said the offer was there to have my future at Rovers and it was a no-brainer for me.
“I’ve settled really well here. I hadn’t played this many games in a couple of years and after one or two which I needed to get up to speed,
“My aim is to keep the number one jersey now that I have it and make it my own.
“I know Ed (McGinty) is progressing all the time and will challenge me but I know it’s there for me to keep it.”
Beeney said manager Ger Lyttle also played a big role in his decision to stay in Sligo.
He said: “Gerard is one of the better managers I’ve worked under.
“He has time for everyone no matter what the situation is. When I signed I said I was made very welcome by everyone at the club. That welcome hasn’t stopped.
“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.”
Of Beeney, Lyttle said: “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.
“Mitchell has come in, he has taken a few games to get used to a new league and playing first-team football. “He has certainly proven himself over the last couple of months of what a top quality goalkeeper he is. “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.”