ALAN BENNETT HAS left AFC Wimbledon to return to Cork City.
The 33-year-old won the title with the Leesiders in 2005 before leaving for Reading two years later.
He rejoins his hometown club having skippered AFC Wimbeldon.
“It’s the Cork City I remember,” Bennett says. “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.”
Bennett joins fellow former Ireland caps, Liam Miller and Colin Healy at Turner’s Cross with John Caulfield aiming to build a side that can go one better than last season’s near miss.
“It is a fantastic signing for us,” says the City boss. “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.”
