Daniel Kelly joins Derry City on a two-year deal

Daniel Kelly believes that Derry City offers him the best chance to win trophies, after turning down offers from clubs in Dublin to sign a two-year deal at the Brandywell.

The 27-year-old winger has become the first new face at Derry in the close season for Ruaidhri Higgins, who is attempting to find the final pieces of the jigsaw to turn his team into champions.

And Kelly, who worked with Higgins at Dundalk where he won the league, the FAI Cup, the League Cup and played in the Europa League Group Stages, believes that Derry City offers him the best chance to add to his honours list.

"He is building something special here, the manager, and I just want to be a part of it,” he said. “I've obviously been chatting to the manager and I've worked with him before so I know what he's all about and know what type of manager he is.

"I'm obviously a Dublin lad so I did have a couple of options in Dublin but I wanted to go to a place where I could potentially win the league and this was a no brainer in the end."

Kelly will join several of his former Dundalk team mates at the Brandywell and he acknowledged that made his decision to join even easier.

"Getting out of your comfort zone is important at certain stages,” he explained. “I had a good five years at Dundalk and really enjoyed my time but I think it's time for a new challenge now and I'm looking forward to it.

"Chatting to the manager as well, the changing room is going to be a real easy changeover for me. I'll be coming up here so slightly out of my comfort zone and into a new changing room but I've nothing to fear going into a new changing room and it's an easier walk in once you know most of the lads as well and knowing the gaffer as well is nice.”

Higgins is understandably delighted to sign the winger, who scored 34 goals in 156 appearances while at Dundalk.

"Daniel is a player I know really, really well,” he said. “I worked with him at Dundalk in 2019. He got 15 goals from wide positions that season. He got nine in 33 appearances in the season just finished from wide areas as well. So, he gets goals but not only does he get goals, he gets big goals.

"He's won a league, he's won the cup, he's played in the group stages in Europe so he's been there and done it. He's also a brilliant character who will fit seamlessly into our dressing room and I'm delighted to have him here.

"He can play right across the front line. He's got electric pace and the big pitch here at Brandywell will really suit him with the creativity around him as well. He creates and scores goals so we're delighted.”

Higgins is also in no doubt that Kelly can significantly add to his team’s goal scoring threat next season.

"Daniel is a player I know really, really well,” he continued. “I worked with him at Dundalk in 2019. He got 15 goals from wide positions that season. He got nine in 33 appearances in the season just finished from wide areas as well. So he gets goals but not only does he get goals, he gets big goals.

"He's won a league, he's won the cup, he's played in the group stages in Europe so he's been there and done it. He's also a brilliant character who will fit seamlessly into our dressing room and I'm delighted to have him here.

"He can play right across the front line. He's got electric pace and the big pitch here at Brandywell will really suit him with the creativity around him as well. He creates and scores goals so we're delighted.

"As I've spoken openly about, we want players who score goals and who have goal contributions and he certainly brings that. I've no doubt he will be a big hit here.”