New Galway United manager Shane Keegan has starting assembling his new squad with three players having re-signed with the club.
Colm Horgan and Marc Ludden were the first to pen new contracts, followed by Kevin Devaney. However United have lost their captain, with Shamrock Rovers confirming Ryan Connolly's move to Tallaght next season. A key man for United, he will be a huge loss, having played 96 games and scored 12 goals in his three seasons.
However Keegan sees both Horgan and Ludden as two players who "can be a huge part of what we're looking to do with the club next season."
"Colm is a player who has got huge potential. There was quite a bit of interest in him and a player of his quality is always going to catch the eye elsewhere, but it was imperative that he was one of the first players we got signed up," said Keegan.
"Marc is a player that I've always been a huge fan of while managing Wexford Youths. He's got a brilliant ability to get forward and he has a superb delivery of a ball. I think both lads can play a huge part for Galway United next season.
"They're Galway through and through. They're two fellas I really enjoyed my one-on-one chats with. I've had discussions with 70 or 80 per cent of last year's squad and they were very engaging players, I love the way they talk about soccer."
A former Salthill Devon player, Horgan (22 ) has already enjoyed three seasons with United, making 32 appearances in 2016, while Ludden (26 ), who also joined Galway United in 2014, featured in 23 games for United in 2016.
Twenty-six-year-old winger Kevin Devaney, who joined United from Sligo Rovers in 2016, made 27 appearances last season, and was voted Galway United Player of the Year.
Keegan says Devaney is a "cracking" player.
"It doesn't surprise me at all that he won the Player of the Year award for the season just finished. He's a guy that can certainly help us achieve the aims that we're after.
