Cork City's Matt Healy on moving back from Ipswich to ignite his senior career

ON-LOAN Ipswich Town midfielder Matt Healy took the initiative in securing a move to Cork City in January. 

The Riverstick native, at Turner's Cross until June, was keen to come back and play for his hometown club and is determined to develop his game during his return to Leeside.

“It was my ambition to go out on loan and play men’s football. I felt it was something that I needed to do to develop my career. I spoke to my agent about it and we discussed a number of clubs that could be an option for me to go and play for. 

"I suggested that I would be interested in playing for City, in terms of it being good for my development, getting to be back home and also playing for a big club.

“My agent agreed with my idea and he made contact with the club to see what their thoughts were. The club seemed happy with the idea and then it was a case of me coming over for a few weeks in pre-season, seeing how I would get on and would I enjoy it if I did move on-loan to City.

“Of course, I was delighted to get the deal sorted for a number of reasons. I’m back home in Riverstick now living with my family. I’m playing men’s football and it’s good to be involved with a professional club.

“City is very similar to Ipswich in terms of that the training schedule is the same just that matches are on different days. In both clubs we train in the morning, have our lunch and then do a gym session in the afternoon.

“I can already see the benefit of playing men’s football. It is definitely more physically demanding and the physical side of my game is certainly an area I feel I can improve on. 

"With U23 football, it’s more technical and not so much about the physical side of the game. 

"The pressure of winning games is greater here. With the 23s it can be used as a tool for first-team players who haven’t been playing regularly or players coming back from injury to gain their fitness, which I fully understand, but that also leads to an inconsistency in the team because you never know what players are going to be playing from one game to the next. 

"But in men’s football, if you are winning games, the team is more than likely to remain and you know that winning games means that the team is doing well and it is going to stay the same.” 

Healy was spotted playing for Cork in the Kennedy Cup before making the move to Portman Road. Although the midfielder was and still is determined to play at the highest level, Healy admits his parents were sceptical about the switch to England.

“A scout saw me playing in the Kennedy Cup and asked me over for a trial to the club. I spoke to College Corinthians, who I was playing for at the time, about going over. 

"I went over for a few trials before being offered a contract. Once I was offered a deal, I had no hesitation about signing it. 

"My parents were a bit different. They were obviously worried about me and weren’t too sure of how life would be for me moving away.

“But I have really enjoyed it at Ipswich. I get on great with everyone there. 

I think the most difficult part of being over there is the downtime. Going to training every day is great but then on days off the other players go home, which I obviously can’t do, and it can be a bit tedious at times.

“But I feel I am developing well at the club. I’ve trained with the first team and those sessions are intense and of a high standard. 

"That was when Paul Cooke was next in charge of the team and I’ve not been there since the new manager [Kieran McKenna] took over.

“My ambition has always been to play at the highest level, but for now, my aim is to play games with City and help the team in any way that I can and then I will see what happens when my loan deal expires and go from there. 

"My contract expires with Ipswich in the summer but there is a clause in my contract where the club have the option to extend my contract.”