SAINT PATRICK’S ATHLETIC have confirmed the signings of midfield duo Chris Forrester and Rhys McCabe, with the former having left Aberdeen by mutual consent and the latter joining from Sligo Rovers.
A former fans’ favourite in Inchicore, Forrester has signed a three-year deal with the club for whom he scored 38 goals in 112 appearances between 2012 and 2015.
Forrester, 26, left Pat’s for League One Peterborough and made an instant impact, earning the captain’s armband and a new three-year contract at London Road.
He was also called into an extended Ireland squad under Martin O’Neill during his spell with The Posh, but fell out of favour with his club during the 2017/18 season before being transfer-listed by manager Steve Evans.
The former Ireland U21 international moved to Aberdeen for a fee of £200,000 last summer, but after a spell blighted by homesickness — Forrester’s daughter currently lives in Dublin, and his family suffered a bereavement before Christmas — the Scottish club agreed to terminate his contract on Tuesday.
“I’m absolutely delighted to be back,” said Forrester of his return to Pat’s and Dublin.
With everything that was going on in my life, I was always going to be coming back to Pat’s. It’s a club that’s very close to my heart. We had a good few years when I was there. Hopefully we can do that again this season.
“I’m excited to go back and see some of the lads. We brought a lot of history to the club. I’m looking forward to going back and working under Harry [Byrne]. He was there as a coach when I was there — I’m not sure what the year was, now, but I really enjoyed that.
“It’s one of the main factors in me coming back, as well. I know what Harry’s about, what he wants to do with his teams, from speaking with him. It looks like it’s a really good team.
With me coming home, it gives me a fresh start; I’m around my family, I’m around my little girl, my friends — everything. I’m back at a club that I think generally likes me. As a footballer, you just want to be loved, and I think if I can do the business, that’s what it’ll be like for me.
📝✏️ DOUBLE SIGNING: Please help us welcome Chris Forrester back to the club as well as new addition Rhys McCabe. Chris has signed a 3 year contract to return to Richmond Park having left Aberdeen. Midfielder Rhys joins us from Sligo Rovers for the #Saints2019 season 🔴⚪️⚽️ pic.twitter.com/2NTLM2VhTy
— St Patrick's Athletic FC (@stpatsfc) January 23, 2019
Former Scottish U21 McCabe, now also 26, began his career at Rangers before heading south for a three-year spell with Sheffield Wednesday (he also spent part of 2014 on loan at Portsmouth).
He joined Sligo from Dunfermline in 2017, and scored six goals in 45 appearances for the Bit O’ Red.
McCabe enjoyed a solid second campaign out west last season, one of the highlights of which was a stunning 60-yard strike in Sligo’s 2-1 win over Limerick last April which ended a run of three straight defeats.
Rhys McCabe scored this stunning goal for @sligorovers on Saturday in the win over @LimerickFCie. A moment of quick-thinking.
— Soccer Republic (@SoccRepublic) April 15, 2018
More on @SoccRepublic on Monday from 7pm with @fabster9 and @Paul_Corry joining Peter. pic.twitter.com/v4DYXP50qf
The Scot has signed on with Harry Kenny’s men for the 2019 season.
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58 caps at under 21 level!!! That shouldn’t happen! Surely there is no progression being made if your playing 58 times at that level! Never heard anyone with so many u21 caps
@Mark O’Connell: the dangers of journalists relying on Wikipedia…… he definitely doesn’t have 58 u21 caps. I think he has 2 and got his first when he was almost 21.
@Augustus hoop: Just went on Wiki there and looked him up. He is down for having 58 caps and 4 goals.But if you scroll down to the paragraph which deals with his international career it details the two games he played in. Poor way to be caught out Gavan.
@Louis Litt: not the worst mistake in the world.
Anyway it’s a pity he didn’t get to a higher level in England – anytime I’ve seen him play he was class.
Always thought he was a class act. The rolling ball goal from mccabe isn’t bad either ;)
I can understand him picking Pat’s, but I can’t help but feel disappointed. A player of his caliber should be winning league medals and competing at the top of our game. Nobody knows what Pat’s are going to look like this season, but I think it’s safe to say they won’t be winning a league.
@Dan Finlay: what!?!
Pats have arguably the most competitive/best squad within the league now?
The two teams who will be up their with them, Dundalk and Rovers ,both have Europe to deal with.
Pats don’t have that, so they’ll have an easier mid season.
To say pats aren’t in the title race with the back 4 they have kept together and the bunch of players that they’ve singed is ludicrous. Stop being bitter
@Dan Finlay: around December you’d have got pats at 25/1 to win the league, earlier today it was 14. Checked it 20 mins ago and it was 9′s. Some serious poke being thrown at them.
@John Macken: they’ve Simon Madden at full back. As a famous Rovers man once said, you’ll never win a league with Simon Madden at right back
Listen great to see a fine player like Chris back in the LOI, was hoping he could do well in Scotland and force he way into the Irish panel. Unfortunately life interfered with that. Best of luck at St Pats, nice player nice bloke.
What about the 5 gobs who gave him a thumbs up
Waster, all the talent in the world but couldn’t hack being across the channel? Annoys me the amount of mental midgets we produce in football in this country
@Jimmy Boots: you’re some tit.
@Jimmy Boots: way harsh bruh! I’d like to think that that is pure sarcasm but still in bad taste
@Jimmy Boots: jimmy you’re a p r I c k were you born an ass hole in the words of Jimmy Buffet.