Image: Constantly Flashing Photography
2016 NPL2 Champions Kingston City have welcomed back striker Sean McIlroy to their playing ranks ahead of their first top-flight campaign in just under a decade.
The Scottish marksman returns to the Grange Reserve, having spent 2016 with State League 2 Champions Geelong, netting 13 times in 19 games under Steve Laurie.
McIlroy moved to Melbourne at the start of the decade and featured for the Bentleigh Greens during first half of the 2011 VPL campaign, scoring five goals in 15 games.
A mid-season transfer to Heidelberg United followed, with the imposing forward adding another three goals to his name from 11 league appearances.
He made the move to Dandenong Thunder in 2012, helping Chris Taylor’s side win the treble in a memorable season which culminated in 2-1 extra-time win over the Oakleigh Cannons in the VPL Grand Final.
Another season at George Andrews Reserve followed, with McIlroy departing the club following a two-year spell after scoring seven goals in 32 league games with the Thunder unable to defend their Dockerty Cup title after being defeated 3-1 by Green Gully in the final.
McIlroy moved west in 2014 by signing with the St Albans Saints as Toby Patterson’s men chased promotion as the forward scored seven goals in 26 league games as well as being an integral part of Dinamo’s FFA Cup run to the Round of 16.
2015 proved to be the Scot’s most productive season in front of goals as his move to Kingston saw him become one of NPL2’s most prolific forwards, scoring 18 goals in 26 league games, with City unlucky not to make the national round of the FFA Cup after being defeated in the final eight by Hume.
Kingston manager Nick Tolios was delighted with the acquisition of a player he describes as having “proven quality” and one who will have no trouble fitting into the dressing room.
“Sean has established himself as one of the state’s best marksman in recent years and we are thrilled to have a striker of his quality at the club considering the number nine role is a problem position for many clubs.”
“Given he has already played for the club, he knows most of the boys pretty well and even though he left the club last season for Geelong, always kept in touch with the club and his former teammates.”
McIlroy will replace the void left by departed forward Emile Damey, with the fringe Liberian international reportedly sealing a move to Spanish second tier side Mallorca.
He joins Daniel Bennett, Faisal Sakhizada, Nathan Tidmarsh, Chris Irwin as new additions to the club, who have lost influential Czech midfielder Zdenek Koukal, while another off-season recruit in Corey Slevin has also departed due to other commitments.