FLEETWOOD TOWN HAVE announced the signing of Republic of Ireland midfielder Glenn Whelan on a short-term deal.
The 36-year-old, who had been a free agent since his departure from Hearts earlier this month, has committed to Fleetwood until the end of the season.
Whelan will wear the number 12 shirt during his time at Highbury.
The move will provide Whelan with the opportunity to get the game-time he’ll need to stay in contention for Ireland’s Euro 2020 play-off away to Slovakia on 26 March.
He will also look to boost his new club’s bid for promotion from League One. Fleetwood currently sit in 11th place, four points adrift of a play-off spot.
The Lancashire outfit are managed by Joey Barton, with whom Whelan was on the books at Manchester City during the early stages of his professional career.
“When the opportunity arose to bring someone of Glenn’s experience in to our squad, we moved quickly to get the deal done,” said Barton following the announcement.
Glenn is hungry to play and we’re sure that he will bring the qualities that everyone knows he is capable of into our group.
“We lost some experience in this window with Peter Clarke leaving to join Tranmere, so to bring someone in like Glenn who has been the captain of his country, is really important for our squad.
“This is an exciting signing for the club, and we look forward to seeing him in action.”
Having been released by Aston Villa following their promotion to the Premier League last season, Whelan moved to Scotland to join Hearts in August.
He made 17 appearances for the Edinburgh club before a somewhat acrimonious departure. New manager Daniel Stendel has overseen a clear-out of players from Tynecastle, with Hearts languishing at the foot of the Scottish Premiership.
Whelan has featured prominently during Mick McCarthy’s second tenure as Ireland manager, the Dubliner taking his tally of senior caps to 91 by playing in six of the Boys in Green’s eight Group D games in Euro 2020 qualifying.
Fleetwood, whose leading goalscorer is Irish striker Paddy Madden, resume their League One campaign away to Bristol Rovers on Saturday.
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Here’s another anomaly in the whole hurling relegation/promotion structure. Winners of the Christy Ring Cup have to play the bottom team in the Joe McDonagh in a play-off. Seems the only place where there’s automatic relegation is in the Leinster group. Why not use the same system everywhere, so either there are playoffs, or there’s not?
Incidentally, and no offence intended to the late Joe McDonagh, but I can’t help wondering why his name was given to the new second tier competition, thereby elevating him above Christy Ring and Nicky Rackard. McDonagh was a great GAA man all right, but is he really worthy of a place higher than those other two in history?
I hope this victory helps to popularise the game of Hurling in Kildare
@Noel Martin: Well to be honest the last one in 2014 didn’t, the county board need to be the ones to stand up and take note. There’s plenty of interest in Kildare for Hurling, a lot of great work going in at underage level in clubs. It needs the backing from the county board, their attitude towards the game is desperate.