Former Ireland Interenational Linked With Return to Hometown Club After Leaving Crystal Palace

Damien Delaney's career could be set to come full circle as reports in Ireland have linked him with a return to the club where he started his career.

Delaney was born in Cork and played for Cork City between 1998 and 2000 before joining Leicester City. The defender has gone on to make over 600 career appearances for eight different English clubs.

Now in the twilight years of his career, and having just left Crystal Palace, Delaney is seeking a change of pace and a move to the Irish Premier League champions would certainly provide that.

The Irish Examiner reports that a move is in the works, with Cork manager John Caulfield hopeful that Delaney can be a mentor and an inspiration to the club's young defensive prospects.

Delaney was a defensive mainstay for Crystal Palace for five seasons after joining the club from Ipswich in 2012, helping them earn promotion to the Premier League via the playoffs in his first campaign. 

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Palace have remained in the top flight ever since, thanks in no small part to Delaney. However, he was a peripheral figure at Selhurst Park in 2017/18, seeing just 95 minutes of league action for the Eagles, and his contract was not renewed.

“Damien has been a fantastic servant to the club," said Palace keeper Wayne Hennessey upon Delaney's departure. 

"It’s nice to have him in the dressing room. He’s good, he’s loud and he’s got a lot of experience so he’s been able to help a lot of people along the way.”

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Delaney spent the largest chunk of his career at Hull City, for whom he played 239 times in all competitions.