CIAN HEALY SAYS he is excited by Leinster’s future as the IRFU prepare to negotiate the 28-year-old’s new contract.
As with several of his international and provincial teammates, the loosehead prop’s current deal expires next summer.
Healy has previously been linked with a move out of Ireland in June 2016, with Toulon understood to have expressed a strong interest last season, but claims he would be happy to stay with his home province.
“That’s the dream: to play with the club that you grew up with and be the best club in Europe in your home town,” said Healy yesterday at a FLEXISEQ Sport event held at Clontarf FC.
“That’s what every young lad in Dublin wants. I’ve had plenty of seasons like that and I’m happy to keep doing that.”
The winter months bring with them a hugely busy period of contract negotiations as the IRFU look to tie down the futures of a handful of international stars, with others such as Sean O’Brien and Conor Murray also up for renewal.
IRFU performance director David Nucifora is the key figure in that contracting work, while also overseeing the re-contracting of non-international players within Ulster, Munster, Connacht and Leinster.
Healy signed a three-year central contract with the IRFU in 2013, meaning the union having been paying the full terms of his deal. The obvious step would be for Healy to extend that contract, although the emergence of Jack McGrath as a serious rival to Healy in Leinster and Ireland’s number one shirt may complicate the matter.
Healy is represented by Damien O’Donohoe of IKON Talent, who also works with the likes of Jamie Heaslip, Luke Fitzgerald, Luke McGrath and footballer Robbie Keane.
Healy underlines that he will leave O’Donohoe and the IRFU to discuss the all-important details of the contract.
“I haven’t heard anything of it yet,” said Healy yesterday. “It doesn’t come near me. I don’t really have any dealing with that until I need to. I’m not a business man so…”
The impression is that Healy would be content to put pen to paper if a strong offering is presented to him, particularly with Leinster and Ireland having shown patience and understanding during his recent recovery from serious neck surgery.
There does seem to be genuine excitement from Healy at the prospect of playing on with Leinster into next season. What exactly is it that excites him?
Everything. The whole set-up that’s in there, the young lads that are coming up. Playing with Garry (Ringrose), Josh (Van Der Flier) and them and seeing the vibes that they’re bringing into training – that’s really good to be around.
“You can see that coming through. It’s hard to think back to when I was young myself because it was so long ago and you’re wondering if you brought those sort of things.
“You kind of stop and look in from the outside and they’re adding a lot of energy. They’re really bringing in the right vibes and that would be something great to be a part of and win things with them.”
