ALAN BENNETT has opted to leave AFC Wimbledon to rejoin Cork City.
The 33 year old defender left Cork to sign for Reading in 2007 and Bennett is 'excited' to agree terms with John Caulfield's side.
“It’s the Cork City I remember,” Bennett said. “A club that is successful and challenging for trophies, with a team full of Cork lads. Now I’m coming back into it the way it was back then: successful, driving towards the top end of the league, challenging for cups, playing in Europe.
“I’m excited and I am looking forward to it. When the opportunity came around, it was a very easy decision. It was something I have always wanted to do and always said I would do, and now that it is happening, I am looking forward to it.”
“I’m looking forward to meeting some of the new players and also meeting up with players I have played with previously. We are all Cork lads and we all want to play for a Cork team that is doing well; it is something that excites me and gets me going again, and I can’t wait to get started.”
Boss Caulfield, who steered Cork to second place in the SSE Airtricity League in 2014, is thrilled to have added Bennett to his squad. “It is a fantastic signing for us. He is coming in to compete in an area where we didn’t have as much competition as I would have liked; obviously we have Michael McSweeney, Dan Murray and Darren Dennehy, but it was very tight and to bring a guy of Alan’s experience in is fantastic.”
“He’s been playing regular first team football in England for the last seven years, he’s a Cork lad and he has captained a few clubs over there which shows his leadership abilities as well. It is brilliant to bring in a player of his stature, ability and experience. He also has European experience and has won a league and a cup with the club.”
