Men's Soccer | 1/22/2015 1:57:00 PM

SLIGO, Ireland – Former NKU soccer star Steven Beattie has signed for Sligo Rovers FC in the League of Ireland. Sligo Rovers are a fully professional club who compete in the highest division of soccer in Ireland.
 
Beattie is no stranger to the League of Ireland. He spent the 2014 campaign with the Dublin based club, Bohemians FC. Beattie registered a significant amount of playing time with Bohemians, making 29 appearances and scoring two goals throughout the season.
 
"I had a good year at Bohemians and I played a lot of minutes," said Beattie. "I want to build on my goal scoring, as I played in numerous positions last year. I played half of the season as an outside back. I will be playing as a forward or outside midfielder with Sligo Rovers, so I'm excited to get back to scoring goals like the good ole NKU days."
 
Sligo Rovers are one of the top clubs in Ireland. They have won the league on three occasions, with the most recent championship coming in 2012. The club finished fifth last season, missing out on a spot in any European competition. Beattie is hoping to help to the club to qualify for a spot in the UEFA Champions or Europa Leagues next season.
 
"We have very big aspirations this season," said Beattie. "We have the team to push for the league title this year and hopefully go on a good cup run. Sligo has always done well in European competitions, so we want to bring the club back to Europe. We have a new manager (Owen Heary) this year, who I worked with last year at Bohemians, and he has a winning mentality like myself and the other players."
 
Beattie is one of several new faces to join Sligo for the upcoming season. He is relishing the opportunity to work alongside former Chelsea FC product and Danish youth international Morten Nielsen.
 
"Morten is a big strong guy and I believe we will work well together," said Beattie. "Our team is so strong this year that no matter who the manager puts out on the field, we know we are capable of competing and winning a lot of games. I personally will continue to fly the flag for NKU, and keep representing myself in the right manner both on and off the field."
 
Beattie and Sligo will kickoff the 2015 season on March 7, at home against Cork City. Cork finished second in the league in 2014, and both clubs are expected to be in contention for a league title this season.