FORMER CHARLTON ATHLETIC player Kevin Feely returned home last weekend for his local club Athy in the Kildare championship – and he may well be making a permanent return to the GAA.
Kevin won the 2011 senior championship with Athy, the highlight of a GAA career in which he represented Kildare in all grades up to senior, captaining the U21 side in 2012.
Still only 21, Feely’s Charlton contract expired at the end of the season, after being loaned to Newport County in March.
“I’ve still got options to go back to England but I’m still not sure what I’m doing yet so I’m just trying to relax and enjoy my holidays,” explained the former DCU student – for whom he won a Freshers All-Ireland title with in 2010.
Athy overcame Maynooth 0-16 to 0-7 last Friday night, and although he didn’t feature in the game, Feely was togged out, only four days after arriving back in the country.
Athy club secretary Joe Barry says that the club would love if Feely decided to stay.
“He was togged out and available but he wasn’t playing, but yeah he certainly would be a big boost.
“That would be the hope that he will play (in this year’s club championship) but I don’t know – we hope that he’ll be back with us and that’s all that I know.”
Feely finished his league campaign with Newport on May 3rd and he will resume training with Athy while he weighs up his options.
“It’s early stages yet so there’ll be another three rounds before anything major, but yes he’s super fit, he always keeps himself in great shape,” explained the Athy secretary.
“We’re really hoping that hell play for us but that’s just from us obviously.”
Feely would of course also be a huge addition to Jason Ryan’s Kildare team, if he does decide to stay and pursue a GAA career. They face the winner of Westmeath and Louth in the Leinster quarter-final on the 8th of June.
From 2010 to 2012, when Charlton fended off a host of clubs to gain the 6ft 3in defender’s signature, Feely managed to combine playing for Bohemians in the League of Ireland with an inter-county career.
So even if he does return to England, who knows where he’ll be spending his summers – remember Kevin Moran anyone?
