Derry City's new signing Marc Walsh wants to prove Swansea City wrong

The 19-years-old, who spent three years with ‘The Swans’, found himself surplus to requirements at the Welsh club via a Zoom call but now that he’s back in the North West, the Donegal native wants to make up for lost time and show Swansea they made a mistake by releasing him.

“I came home in March from Swansea and although I was still under contract we weren’t training or playing, so they sent me home and we were doing loads of Zoom calls,” he insisted.

“Then, when it was time for me to find out about my new deal, they just told me that unfortunately they weren’t going to be offering me a new deal. It was disappointing but that’s what happens in football.

“Now that I have been released I feel I have something to prove to Swansea, to prove them and other people wrong and show what I can do.”

The former Gweedore Celtic man is happy to have signed a one year deal with the Candy Stripes following a successful trial and wants to get the sharpness back in his game having not played for close to a year.

“I’m delighted the deal is done and I’m just delighted to be back playing football as it has been 11 months since I last played. I’m delighted to get back into the run of things,” he added.

“It has been a tough time but now that I’m back in a club football, it’s all good again.

“When I was finished with Swansea I was trying to sign for a few clubs but my agent made me aware of the possibility of going into the League of Ireland and just playing first team football again. I thought it was a great idea. I know Derry has a good set-up, so when Paddy McCourt organised a trial for me, I signed for the club after a week’s trial.”

The Loughanure man, who is happy to play on either wing, feels the Brandywell club belong in the upper reaches of the league and says this season they should be challenging for both honours and a European place.

“Derry deserve success, they belong in those Europa League spots and hopefully we can do that this season. That’s our aim. It’s a top club that needs to be at the top end of the table and hopefully we have the players and the squad to do that this year.

“It has been really good so far. I have been training a lot by myself and keeping fit but football wise, things like your first touch and passing, that is still a bit off at the minute but that’s understandable as I haven’t played for a while.

“I’m a tricky winger who always wants to get forward and create chances and I can play either right or left wing. I like to go down the line and take my man on, but on the left side I don’t mind cutting inside, so either wing is fine by me.”

The Ireland under-18 international, who made 17 appearances in Premier League South during his first year in South Wales - scoring in victories over Reading and Aston Villa, was fully focused on impressing during his Derry trial and is now really looking forward to getting his first taste of action in tonight’s practice game against North West neighbours Finn Harps.

“The minute I got offered the trial I wanted to go in and impress them and thankfully I did that so it’s great to now get on board and look to kick-on,” he added.

“We play our first pre-season practice game against Finn Harps on Tuesday and I’m looking forward to that. All the boys are looking forward to it.”