With one eye on their Europa Conference campaign this summer Sligo Rovers have announced the capture of flamboyant forward Walter Figueira from Derry City ahead of the 2021 SSE Airtricity League season.
The English man arrives at The Showgrounds after a season in The Brandywell which resulted in The Candystripes missing out on their European spot they had secured in the previous campaign.
Figueira also impressed League of Ireland fans during a six month spell under Alan Reynolds in Waterford during the second half of the 2019 season.
The 25 year old Londoner, who spent four seasons with Chelsea’s academy as a youngster, scored four times in his 18 first team appearances for Derry last term.
Speaking to SligoRovers.com Walter said: “I’m really looking forward to playing some exciting football here. The style of play here is very attractive and I feel like I can contribute a lot to the side.
“The manager reassured me he would take care of me with my family and give me the freedom to do what I do best on the pitch. I was very convinced by him and I trust the players we have in the squad. I’m looking forward to it.
“I found it very frustrating last year. The stop-start season and Covid-19 in Derry led to lots of isolating and that and it affected our fitness. It was difficult to get a good run of games. Hopefully I can find the consistency and showcase my ability in the league now.
“Hopefully we can gel as quickly as possible. For the people watching Sligo Rovers next season, we want to put on a show.”
His new manager Liam Buckley was also quoted: “Walter is a player I have recognised going back to his youth days at Chelsea. His spells in Waterford and Derry have shown what a good technical player he is.
“He can play anywhere across the front four, that versatility is fantastic for us. We’ve got Romeo, Ryan De Vries, Jordan Gibson, Johnny Kenny, add in young Cillian Heaney and now Walter and between all of them we’ve got some fantastic options there.
“We’re trying to improve the squad in each window and doing it around the way we have to play here. Walter is a very good addition with that in mind. He’s a player our supporters will really appreciate.
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