Out-of-contract Cork City utility man Jimmy Keohane is making a return to English league football, after penning a short-term deal with League One side, Rochdale.
The 28-year-old, who first left Irish shores as a teenager to join Bristol City from Wexford Youths, has committed to a contract that runs until the end of the current season.
Keohane, never really got started at Ashton Gate, but did find his feet with Exeter City, making close to 100 appearances for the Devonshire outfit in a three-season spell in League Two.
Having returned to the League of Ireland in 2016, he spent a season with Sligo before aking the switch to Turners Cross, where he won a League and Cup double with the Leesiders in 2017. He scored six goals for Cork last season, as the Rebel Army surrendered their league title to arch-rivals Dundalk, finishing ten points behind the Lilywhites.
It makes me very proud to have represented and tasted success with @CorkCityFC Best wishes to everyone at the club for the coming season #CCFC pic.twitter.com/AOMBH4awht
— Jimmy Keohane (@keojim) February 1, 2019
Having decided not to renew his contract with John Caulfield's side, the Kilkenny man has spent the last couple of weeks training at Dale's Manor Farm training complex and has evidently done enough to impress manager Keith Hill.
Speaking to the club website, Keohane was excited by the prospect of being back playing football on that side of the Irish Sea.
I’m looking forward to the challenge ahead and contributing to the team as much as I can. I’ve played for five-and-a-half years in England before, so I’m used to the EFL and it will be a good test in League One.
Keohane will not have signed in time to make tomorrow's trip to Walsall, in what is a crunch tie at the bottom of League One, but should be in line to make his debut in front of the Spotland faithful, next weekend against Coventry City.
