DERRY CITY: Timlin glad to be '˜back home'

After weeks of trying to get the deal over the line when the season ended, the 22-year-old, who has played in a number of positions during pre-season, was delighted to re-sign for the ‘Candy Stripes’, but niggling injuries has hampered him in pre-season.

“Pre-season for me has been a bit stop/start,” he stated.

“I had a couple of injuries, nothing major but it just set me back a couple of weeks each time but I have been back for the last week and I played 90 minutes in a training game, 90 minutes against Institute and 45 minutes against Coleraine, so I want to hit the ground running and that’s the hope.

“But re-joining was like just coming back home because I know most of the players and staff.”

The Buncrana man, who this season will only have to walk across the street for home games at Maginn Park, is looking forward to this Friday night’s opener at Bohemians and believes Kenny Shiels’ policy of everyone working hard and putting a shift in will be a big factor this year.

“I don’t think anyone really likes pre-season but we all know it’s something we have to do,” he added.

“Pre-season also gives you that hunger for the season to start and everyone is raring to go and can’t wait for the Bohs game.

“We’ll probably take the foot off the gas this week, because pre-season has been tough; we have trained really hard and I think that’s going to be a feature of us this year.

“I think we are going to be a really fit side because we have put the work in during the off season and over the last six weeks, so now everyone is raring to go and can’t wait to get started.”