First Division side Cabinteely yesterday announced that one of the league’s top performers in 2017 had re-signed with the club for 2018.
Striker Kieran ‘Marty’ Waters 27, had probably the best season of his career at Cabinteely in 2017, scoring 15 goals in 28 games.
We caught up with him to talk about why he decided to remain at the club for another year.
Waters told us, “The club has a great plan going forward and they have done their upmost to hang on to me with them being so close to home. It was tough to make the decision as there was plenty of teams that were interested in signing me, which I appreciate, but I made the decision to stay and see if i could help the club get where it wants to go, so I stand by my decision.”
Cabinteely is a club that’s fully focused on developing their own players through their youth structure and Waters I’d fully embracing it, “Every teams structure is changing. It probably should’ve happened 10 years ago, but youth development is where most clubs are going to find the next stars of the future.”
All the young players at the club look up to the striker, who’s young himself, and he’s loving it, “It’s great to be a person that plenty of young footballers look up to because it gives them confidence to express themselves, and be fearless. There are plenty of great players in both the Premier and First Division that are absolutely great with helping the younger players.”
He’s played for 4 teams in the League of Ireland, Bray Wanderers, Shamrock Rovers, UCD and now Cabinteely. He said, “I have enjoyed my time at every club I’ve ever been at, and the different styles of football, you really learn a lot especially in our country as the league is like a football family.”
He has lofty ambitions for next season, “You have to set your aims high and everybody in the team has to read into it. Personally, one aim is to finish as top goal-scorer. I missed out on it last season by just two goals. That was a personal aim, especially as for the first time in my League of Ireland career I’m playing in my proper position.”
“Cabinteely could be a real underdog in the First Division next season. If you start the season well, maintain performances and finish strong, any team could have a chance at promotion.”
Waters also has high praise for Cabo boss Pat Devlin, who’s been very influential in his career to date, “Pat is a top man, and all he asks is honest effort and he will back you to the hilt if you give him the same respect.”
He also knows that the club are doing the right things both on and off the field, “It’s great to see supporters of other teams turn there heads in attention to what the club is doing, and turning Cabo into a team that will put it up to anybody, is an achievement in itself due to being the new team on the block.”
Who would bet against him topping the goal-scoring charts come the end of the 2018 First Division season!
Photo Credit: Cabinteely FC
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