As TWTD reported last night, Town have completed the capture of Cork City's influential midfielder Colin Healy. He signs a two-year deal but the fee remains undisclosed.

News of Town's interest in Healy first broke on Tuesday as the Blues moved quickly after learning that the former Celtic man was close to completing a joint switch to Hartlepool along with Cork team-mate Denis Behan.

Healy, who missed Sunday's friendly because he was already in the UK discussing his Hartlepool move, played youth football for Ballincollig and Wilton United before joining Celtic, making his senior debut in 1998/99.

After a spell on loan at Coventry, Healy moved on to Sunderland 2003 but left for Livingston on a free transfer in 2005, injury – including two broken legs - having restricted his appearances for the Black Cats to 16 starts and four games from the bench.

Having left Livingston after a year, 5ft 11in tall Healy spent a week with the Blues in June 2006 and played in a friendly at Boston United, Jim Magilton's first game in charge as manager, where he was photographed by TWTD Message Boarder Blu Ju, but was not offered a contract.

The sudden switch from joining Hartlepool to then Town annoyed Pools boss Graham Turner saying "We came very close to signing Colin Healy but we have come up short. It is annoying because we have worked hard for two months on Colin Healy, only for Ipswich to play Cork on Sunday and decide they want him."

A short spell at Barnsley and a loan at Bradford followed before Healy, capped 13 times by the Republic of Ireland, scoring once, returned home to Cork in 2007.

Healy came close to being a late inclusion in the Republic of Ireland squad at the 2002 World Cup as a replacement for Roy Keane, but missed the deadline after discussions regarding the Town manager's return to Saipan continued at length.

The midfielder is likely to make his second Town debut in Saturday's Fabian Wilnis testimonial against Colchester United at Portman Road.

Photo: Action Images

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