Waterford FC continue to build their squad ahead of the 2020 season which gets under way next month. The club last week announced the loan signing of Kevin O’Connor from Preston North End. Kevin last played with the Blues back in 2014, when he made 43 appearances over two seasons, scoring three times.Speaking to WaterfordFC.ie O’Connor spoke of how happy he was to return to the RSC.
Michael O’Connor has re-signed for Waterford FC
“I’m delighted to be back, Waterford is a massive club and I’m over the moon to be finally back playing in the RSC. I started out my senior career here when I was 17, so for me, it’s massive to get to come back to play again.“It was great to get the call off Rennie (Alan Reynolds), he’s been a massive influence on my career from development squads right up to senior football. He trusts and believes in me, and any footballer who says that isn’t a huge factor when signing for a club is lying.“I’ve zero doubts in my mind that Rennie will build as strong a squad as he possibly can. I know him long enough now to know he doesn’t do things by halves. Even now there’s a nice mix of experience and youth in the team. I’m not a young lad any more in terms of how long I’ve been playing in this league, so hopefully, I’ll be able to help the younger boys to develop.
“I’ve no doubt January will see the coaching staff running the legs off us, but those few weeks behind closed doors are when a squad grows together and bonds are made. It’s easy to see who wants to be there in those early weeks of pre-season.”
The Blues also announced the signing of Michael O’Connor who re-signed on another loan deal from Linfield after joining for the latter half of 2019 on loan from the Irish League side.
Speaking to WaterfordFC.ie, O’Connor said he was looking forward to getting back to playing in the RSC.“I’m really looking forward to getting back into the RSC and playing my football in Waterford again. Everyone knows Waterford is a big club, so to get to play here again is fantastic.
“I really enjoyed my time down here last season. The club has a real professional feel about itself. The facilities are second to none. Between that and the fans, there is something very special about this club.“I spoke with Rennie (Alan Reynolds) a couple of times over the last few weeks and he’s set out his plan for the coming season. He’s brought in some good players so hopefully, we can do the business when we get on the pitch.“Last year was tough, but I’m optimistic about the coming season. We’re going to give everything we have every time we cross onto the pitch. Hopefully, I’ll be able to score a few goals along the way, but I see no reason why we can’t push up the table.”
Manager Alan Reynolds said he was delighted to secure Michael for the 2020 season.
“Michael O’Connor is a fantastic addition to this club. Great to have around the place and at the tail end of the season we got to see the best of him.“This year we’ll have a fit and hungry Michael O’Connor and I feel he’s the best striker in the league when he’s fit.“People have knocked this young man but everyone here believes in him. The best is yet to come from Michael and I have no doubt we’ll see it this year.”
