Colin Healy
Personal information
Full name	Colin Healy
Date of birth	March 14, 1980 (1980-03-14) (age 29)
Place of birth	Cork, Ireland
Playing position	Midfielder
Club information
Current club	Ipswich Town
Number	18
Youth career
1997	Ballincollig and Wilton United
Senior career1
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
1998–2003 2002–2003 2003–2006 2006 2006–2007 2006 2007-2009 2009-	Celtic → Coventry City (loan) Sunderland Livingston Barnsley → Bradford City (loan) Cork City Ipswich Town	30 (1) 17 (2) 20 (0) 09 (2) 08 (0) 02 (0) 38 (1) 02 (0)
National team2
2002–2003	Republic of Ireland	12 (1)
1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 18:10,03 September 2009 (UTC). 2 National team caps and goals correct as of 18:10,03 September 2009 (UTC). * Appearances (Goals)

Colin Healy (born 14 March 1980 in Cork) is an international footballer for the Republic of Ireland, currently playing with Football League Championship side Ipswich Town.

[edit] Playing career

[edit] Early career

Healy was born in Ballincollig in County Cork. He came from a sporting family, with his grandfather Paddy "Hitler" Healy having been a Gaelic footballer and hurler who won All-Ireland Senior Football Championship and All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship medals with the Cork inter-county football and hurling teams respectively in 1945 and 1946.^[1] His brother Pat play's with Ballinhassig in the Munster Senior League. Healy played local soccer with Ballincollig and then Wilton United. He attended the FAS/FAI course in Cork run by former Celtic and Cork City midfielder Mick Conroy and from here he was taken to Celtic Park where he impressed.

He played and scored at the FIFA World Youth Championship finals in Nigeria in 1999.

During the Saipan incident between Mick McCarthy and fellow Cork man Roy Keane, Colin Healy was called upon by McCarthy as the replacement should Keane be dropped from the squad. A succession of changes-of-heart by the Manchester United player led to the call-up being delayed and the deadline passing, with Healy unable to join the World Cup squad.

[edit] Sunderland

Sunderland succeeded in signing Healy from Celtic in 2003. In December 2003 he broke his leg in a match against a former loan club, Coventry City after a challenge by Moroccan international Youssef Safri.

In October 2004, he broke his leg again soon after resuming training with Sunderland.

In January 2006, it was announced that Healy's contract with Sunderland had expired, and the midfielder left the club.

[edit] Livingston and Barnsley

He joined SPL club Livingston on 10 March 2006 until the end of the season. On 10 August 2006 Healy signed a one year contract with Barnsley.

On his return to the Stadium of Light he came on as a substitute to a standing ovation.

Having made only 10 appearances for Barnsley, he had his contract canceled by mutual consent.

[edit] Cork City and FIFA case

On 20 February 2007 he signed a two-year contract with hometown eircom League of Ireland club Cork City, alongside former international colleague Gareth Farrelly. FIFA ruled both players to be unable to play for the club, citing a rule forbidding players from transferring between clubs more than twice in a 12 month period between July and June. FIFA rejected appeals made by both players. On 1 July 2007 both Colin Healy and Gareth Farrelly became eligible to play for Cork City. On this date, they both played for the club's under-21 team against Lifford of Ennis, Co Clare, winning the game 2-0.

Colin Healy's full Cork City debut occurred against Bohemians when they were beaten in extra time in the Eircom League Cup Quarter Final held at Dalymount Park on 3 July 2007.

Healy signed a two-year contract for Cork in 2009. In April 2009, Healy scored his only goal for Cork at Tallaght Stadium^[2].

[edit] Ipswich Town

On Thursday 16 July 2009 it was confirmed that Cork City had accepted a £100,000 bid from Hartlepool United to take Healy and fellow Cork City team-mate Denis Behan to Victoria Park, Hartlepool. However five days later, Hartlepool United manager Chris Turner confirmed that the deal had not happened due to late interest from Ipswich Town. Healy subsequently signed for Ipswich for an undisclosed fee.^[3] and made his full debut on 11 Aug 2009 in the Carling Cup ^[4].

[edit] References