Colin Healy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Colin Healy

Healy playing for Cork City in 2007
Personal information
Full name	Colin Healy
Date of birth	(1980-03-14) 14 March 1980 (age 45)
Place of birth	Cork, Ireland
Height	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Youth career
1997	Ballincollig and Wilton United
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1998–2003	Celtic	30	(1)
2002–2003	→ Coventry City (loan)	17	(2)
2003–2006	Sunderland	20	(0)
2006	Livingston	9	(2)
2006–2007	Barnsley	8	(0)
2006	→ Bradford City (loan)	2	(0)
2007–2009	Cork City	62	(2)
2009–2011	Ipswich Town	20	(2)
2010	→ Falkirk (loan)	19	(1)
2012–2017	Cork City	110	(5)
Total		297	(15)
International career
1998–1999	Republic of Ireland U18
2002–2003	Republic of Ireland	13	(1)
Managerial career
2020–2023	Cork City
2023–	Republic of Ireland women (assistant)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Colin Healy (born March 14, 1980) is an Irish football manager and former player. He played as a midfielder. Colin started his senior playing career at Celtic in Scotland. He also played for several English clubs like Sunderland and Ipswich Town. Colin Healy spent a big part of his career playing for his hometown club, Cork City, in Ireland.

He also played for the Republic of Ireland at youth and senior levels. He played 13 games for his country's senior team and scored one goal. After retiring as a player, he became a manager. He managed Cork City and is now an assistant manager for the Republic of Ireland women's national team.

Colin Healy's Football Journey

Starting Out in Cork

Colin Healy was born in Ballincollig, County Cork, Ireland. He grew up in a family that loved sports. His grandfather, Paddy Healy, was a famous player in Gaelic football and hurling. He won big championships with the Cork teams in 1945 and 1946.

Colin started playing local soccer for teams like Ballincollig and Wilton United. He then joined a special football course in Cork. This course helped him get noticed by big clubs. Soon after, he moved to Scotland to join Celtic.

Playing for Celtic

Colin Healy spent five years with Celtic, a famous Scottish club. He scored his first goal for Celtic in a league game in February 2000. He also scored two goals in the Scottish League Cup.

In 2001, he helped Celtic win the Scottish League Cup. He played in the final game where Celtic beat Kilmarnock 3–0.

Moving to Sunderland

In 2003, Colin Healy joined Sunderland, an English club. While playing for Sunderland, he suffered a serious leg injury in December 2003. This injury happened during a match against Coventry City, a team he had played for on loan earlier.

He broke his leg again in October 2004, shortly after returning to training. His contract with Sunderland ended in January 2006, and he left the club.

Short Spells at Livingston and Barnsley

After leaving Sunderland, Colin Healy joined Livingston, a Scottish club, in March 2006. He played there until the end of the season.

In August 2006, he signed a one-year contract with Barnsley in England. He only played 10 games for Barnsley before his contract was ended by agreement.

Returning Home to Cork City

In February 2007, Colin Healy signed a two-year contract with his hometown club, Cork City. However, there was a problem with the transfer. FIFA, the world football governing body, said he couldn't play right away.

This was because of a rule that stops players from moving between clubs more than twice in a 12-month period. After an appeal was rejected, Colin Healy finally became eligible to play for Cork City on July 1, 2007. He made his full debut for the club a few days later.

In April 2009, Colin scored his first goal for Cork City. He signed another two-year contract with the club that same year.

Time at Ipswich Town

In July 2009, Colin Healy moved back to England to play for Ipswich Town. He had a good moment in a League Cup semi-final game against Arsenal in 2011. In February 2011, he scored his first goal for Ipswich. His contract with Ipswich ended in November 2011.

During his time at Ipswich, he also had a loan spell at Falkirk, another Scottish club, where he scored one goal.

Final Years Playing for Cork City

In 2013, Colin Healy returned to Cork City for a third time. He signed a three-year deal. One of his most memorable goals was an overhead kick against St Patrick's Athletic in 2014.

With Cork City, he finished second in the league for three years in a row. He also lost the 2015 FAI Cup final. However, he finally won a trophy in March 2016, the Presidents Cup. He also won the 2016 FAI Cup, coming on as a substitute in the final. Colin Healy retired from playing football in April 2017.

Coaching Career

After he stopped playing, Colin Healy became the "head of academy" for Cork City. This meant he was in charge of the club's youth players. In December 2020, he was appointed "first team head coach" for Cork City. He stayed in this role until May 2023.

Since 2023, Colin Healy has been an assistant manager for the Republic of Ireland women's national team. He officially took on this role permanently in February 2024.

International Career

Colin Healy played for the Republic of Ireland at different youth levels. He scored a goal against Australia at the FIFA World Youth Championship in Nigeria in 1999. He also won a bronze medal at the UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship in Sweden in 1999.

In 2002, during the time of the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Colin Healy was considered to join the World Cup squad. He was called upon as a possible replacement for another player. However, due to changes in the situation, he was not able to join the team for the World Cup. He went on to play 13 games for the senior Republic of Ireland team, scoring one goal.

Honours

Celtic

• Scottish Premier League: 2000–01
• Scottish League Cup: 2000–01

Cork City

• FAI Cup: 2007, 2016
• Setanta Sports Cup: 2008
• FAI President's Cup: 2016

Manager

• League of Ireland First Division: 2022

Individual

• PFAI Team of the Year: 2014 Premier Division
• League of Ireland Player of the Year: 2014