*Lee Devitt in action for Treaty Utd. Photograph: Michael J Ryan / Sportsfile.
NEWMARKET-ON-FERGUS’ Lee Devitt has signed for Galway Utd as he makes the step up to the League of Ireland Premier Division for next season.
Devitt on Monday evening confirmed his exit from Treaty Utd after four excellent seasons which included captaining the Limerick club.
As he bids farewell from the Markets Field, he will now be heading up the M18 in the opposite direction to line out in Eamonn Deacy Park.
His senior career in the League of Ireland began with Limerick FC in 2019 before moving to Cobh Ramblers at the beginning of the 2020 season. He joined Treaty Utd ahead of the 2022 season becoming a central figure in Tommy Barrett’s side and a firm fan favourite.
In the season gone by, he lined out in all thirty six games plus the three play-off ties for Treaty Utd. As a result of his performances, he was selected on the PFAI First Division team of the year.
He finished the season with fourteen goals to his name which was the third highest in the First Division. His match-winning penalty sixty seconds from time helped Treaty defeat Athlone Town 3-2 in September while he also stepped up with goals in each half when they defeated Bray Wanders 2-1 in June and at the end of February he was on target in their 2-1 victory against Finn Harps to push them into second place.
For the past two seasons, Lee has been selected as the Treaty Utd player of the year.
Galway Utd manager, John Caulfield said of his new signing, “We’ve been watching Lee closely for the last couple of seasons, and he really exploded last year — it was a standout season for him. He’s been a massive player for Treaty for a number of years, and when we heard he was looking for full-time football, we knew he was at the perfect stage in his career to make that step.
“Lee brings incredible energy and real quality. He’s versatile, he’s powerful, he’s athletic, and he’s got serious pace. On top of that, he scored a huge amount of goals last season. His style fits exactly into the profile we’re building, and I’m absolutely delighted to bring him in”.
Twenty five year old Lee stated, “I’m absolutely delighted to be here, I can’t wait to get going with the lads and play in front of the fans at a packed out Eamonn Deacy Park. It’s a really exciting project John is building here and I can’t wait to be part of it and give my all for the club”.
On his time at Treaty, Lee reflected, “what a journey. I will always be grateful for the opportunities and memories. It was an unbelieveable honour to wear this jersey and captain the club on numerous occasions. I want to say a massive thank you to Tommy, the staff, my teammates and everyone behind the scenes who made it such a special environment to walk into every day.
“To the fans who followed us up and down the country every Friday night through the highs and lows, thank you for the all the memories SuperBlues. Leaving was not an easy decision. It never is when a place feels like home but it’s time for the next challenge,” he added.
