SLIGO ROVERS HAVE announced that Romeo Parkes has signed for the 2021 season, returning to the Bit O’Red for a second spell — and the Jamaican international striker says he’s back with “a feeling of unfinished business”.
Parkes, 30, was an instrumental player for the club in 2019, where he finished as top scorer with 11 goals in 30 Premier Division appearances, and two in the FAI Cup.
Having been in America with USL Championship club Pittsburgh Riverhounds before arriving at The Showgrounds, Parkes returned Stateside for personal reasons in January.
“We hope to see him back in Sligo one day and we wish him well,” Liam Buckley said at the time, while Parkes added: “I hope one day to wear the jersey again.”
And ahead of the striker’s second coming, Buckley said: “We kept the door open for Romeo if circumstances did work out because we didn’t want to lose him for 2020.
“We were hoping he would return for 2021 and today we’re very pleased it has come to fruition.
“He did very well for us in 2019, scored double figures in the league and he’ll come back looking to make another big contribution. It wasn’t just goals, there were some standout performances during that season and he complimented a lot of players we have here.
“We are building a squad as best we can with the view to being as strong as we possibly can and make further strides next season. Romeo will be another strong addition to the group. We’re making more progress and we have more to do so that work continues.”
“I’m coming back with a feeling of unfinished business,” Parkes said. “I feel I owe something because I remember that FAI Cup semi-final with Dundalk when I had to come off early on. We didn’t make the final and I haven’t forgotten it.
“European football is something I’m looking forward to. I like the manager and I look forward to playing with all of the guys again. I’m very happy to be coming back. I really like the club, the place and the fans and we can go further. I’m coming back to finish what was started.”
Under contract at Sligo Rovers for 2021 so far: Ed McGinty, Luke McNicholas, Lewis Banks, Garry Buckley, John Mahon, David Cawley, Niall Morahan, Ryan De Vries, Romeo Parkes, Mark Byrne.
