Former Coventry City academy product Cian Harries has today joined National League outfit Woking following the expiration of his contract with Aldershot Town, as revealed on the club’s official website.
Michael Doyle made a very wise acquisition in adding a player with a tonne of EFL experience, one that should assist the Cardinals have a stronger season than they had this one. Following on from their third-place success the season before, Woking would finish in a very disappointing 17th place.
They’ll be aiming for much better results the following season, and the addition of Harries highlights the path the team wants to go. He would start forty of the Aldershot team’s league games and be a regular on a club that would narrowly lose out on a play-off position this season. He also has more than 60 EFL appearances under his belt, so he adds a wealth of experience to a team that needs it.
In his younger years, Harries was well-liked and would start his career with Coventry City. He was a graduate of the Sky Blues academy and made 17 appearances for the senior team, nine of which occurred when the team was in the third division. His efforts were not in vain, as he signed a contract with Swansea City, a Premier League team at the time. However, he would only play twice for the Swans, in the Championship.
He has lately applied to play for Swindon Town and Bristol Rovers, but he had a lot of trouble getting into games with the latter. His career was undoubtedly restarted by moving to Aldershot, and he will now aim to continue with the Cardinals.
When discussing the defender’s arrival with the club’s media, manager Michael Doyle would say:
“This football team made a tremendous signing in Cian Harries. We have a long history together, going back to when we were both at Coventry—Doyle and Assistant Manager Ben Turner. He’s had a tremendous season last year. He is a centre half who can play the ball, and he will be an important component of our attacking line.
Undoubtedly, their time together at Coventry was a contributing factor in the transfer, and Harries will be looking to build on the confidence his new manager has placed in him by leading Woking to greater success the following campaign.
The defender may regret moving to Swansea, as it didn’t aid his growth at all after he made an impression in his early days at Coventry. Even so, he has continued to show glimpses of his early promise and enjoyed a successful season with Aldershot this past season.
Woking appears to be really going after the off-season as they have announced a handful of acquisitions today. Doyle will be taking over for the first time this season, so growth is expected, and it wouldn’t be shocking to see them in the play-off picture.
Harries will probably be one of the starting defenders on the team and will undoubtedly play a significant part.
