AFTER a season off, Danny Ireland was planning on having another year away from the game.
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That was before Valentine co-coach Darren Sills came knocking.
Now the former Lambton Jaffas, Hamilton Olympic and Charlestown shot-stopper is "ready to go again" and believes Phoenix can test the top teams after two disappointing Northern NSW NPL campaigns.
Valentine signed Ireland, 29, last week as the latest addition in a strong recruitment drive for 2020.
The club had already secured former Newcastle, Adelaide and Sydney midfielder Adam Hughes from Charlestown and ex-Jaffas defender Dain Greentree.
Sills said midfielder Daniel Minors was also returning to Valentine from Lake Macquarie. Minors was one of Phoenix's best in 2017 when they narrowly missed finals.
Valentine dropped to last in 2018 and were only a point off bottom spot this year but Ireland believed the club could turn around their fortunes.
"It was good to have a year off and I probably wasn't planning on coming back next year, but Darren [Sills] had a chat to me and told me his plans for next season," Ireland said. "They pointed to a good season and I was happy to be on board.
"It's going to be a tough season, there's no doubt about it. Edgy always puts in a good season, Maitland, now with Mick Bolch there, just put together a good season, then there's the Jaffas... so it's going to be a good fight.
"I'm not going in with too many expectations, to take the pressure off, but we'll take it to the top teams, put them under pressure and see what they can do.
"I think we've got a few guys coming in and a few young lads there, so we'll just focus on the basics and put pressure on the top teams. We've got no pressure on us, that's the beauty of it."
Ireland, a former Australian under-20s representative who was contracted to Coventry City in England from 2008-2012, was widely regarded as the best keeper in the NNSW NPL when with Hamilton and Jaffas.
However, injury and illness have restricted his game time in recent seasons.
He played just seven NPL games in 2017 when with Hamilton because of an ankle injury. He returned in 2018 with Charlestown and starred as the Blues surged to the top of the league table and a maiden appearance in the FFA Cup round of 32.
Ireland was a standout as Charlestown beat the Jaffas on penalties in the Cup but illness then ended his season. He sat out 2019 but was confident of coming back.
"It was so disappointing," he said. "We won that FFA Cup game, and I didn't get the chance to travel down to Melbourne for the next game, and I would have loved to have played that.
"I just had a few things I had to work through. It's something that I've got to keep on top of, just be honest about it with myself, and I think the fitness work I'll be putting in will be beneficial."
Sills said Ireland's recruitment was "just another step towards getting our defence sorted". They conceded a league-high 60 goals in 2019.
"On his day, he's the best keeper in the league," Sills said. "We've just got to make sure he's in a happy and healthy place, and I think he will enjoy his football."
"With Hughesy in front of him and Dain Greentree in there, we're starting to look a lot stronger defensively."
He said Harry Lane (Lake Macquarie) was another addition to their defence, while Luke Willard and goalkeeper Perry Budden were likely to leave the club.