Ryan De Vries has signed a new contact with Sligo Rovers for 2021.

The New Zealand international was a vital player for Rovers over the 2020 campaign. 

He played 17 games out of 21 overall, having only signed three games into the season, and scored against Dundalk and Finn Harps. 

“I’m delighted to have signed back with Rovers, we’ve done well over the year and obviously the league finish was good.

“I’ve enjoyed my time here so signing back was something I wanted to do. It’s a different country and I had to settle in. With the pandemic I was only here for less than two weeks and then had to make that 38-hour trip a couple of times!

“It’s hard being away from home and my wife and child and she is due our second next year. Football keep me going and the two lads (housemates Lewis Banks and Darragh Noone) kept me company and made it easier. I think we made it easier for each other and the group and people around the club are very good. 

“I had a knee injury late in the season which meant I missed some minutes or had to play through but that will recover now and my aim is to come back next year and start firing.

“I’m definitely excited for Europe. To come from the bottom to finish where we did was a good achievement and the FAI Cup run was unbelievable because I could see what it means to do well in the Cup here. Losing the semi-final gives us something to Improve on and look forward to next year to try to get to a final. If we could do that I can imagine what it would be like for the fans and people around the club. Europe will be a great experience and we have to target winning games in that. I’m excited to be part of next chapter here. 

“We have to be competitive in the league and give the fans here something to shout about when they do come back, I want to be here for that and improve on what’s been started. The environment around the club is something I like being part of so 2021 is one to look forward to.”

Liam Buckley said: “Ryan is technically excellent and has shown he’s a very good footballer. He can play in three or four positions and he’s made a valuable contribution to our year.

“I’m delighted to have him with us. I think a second season will see Ryan get better as he will be more experienced in the league and settled. 

“It was tough for Ryan being away from his family and we valued him commitment as we do for all our players in the squad. 

“We’ve made good progress this week, we still have more to do and we are making changes to the squad as happens every year. We’ve got more to do as the budget becomes clearer, and I think we can be pleased so far.”