FORMER Colchester United striker Rhys Healey is celebrating a promotion to French football's top flight.

The 27-year-old, who played for the U's during the 2014-15 season on loan from Cardiff City, has helped Toulouse secure promotion back to Ligue 1, two years after they were relegated.

Ligue 2 leaders Toulouse beat Niort 2-0 on Monday to secure a return to French football's top division, with goals from Brecht Dejaeghere and Ado Onaiwu.

It means Toulouse are guaranteed one of the two automatic promotion places and will play in Ligue 1 next season, where they will face the likes of Paris St Germain, Lyon and Marseille.

 

Healey has made quite an impression across the Channel.

The striker has made a positive impact for the Ligue 2 side since joining them for an undisclosed fee from MK Dons, in the summer of 2019.

The former Cardiff City youngster netted his first goal in a 3-1 league win against Auxerre.

Healey has scored 38 goals in 72 league and cup appearances for Toulouse and earlier this month scored a hat-trick in a 4–2 win at Guingamp.

 

Healey joined Colchester on loan from Cardiff in September, 2014.

He made 23 league and cup appearances for the U's under Tony Humes that season, scoring four times in U's colours including on his debut in a 3-0 win at Crewe Alexandra.

Indeed, Healey netted four times in his first six appearances for Colchester before eventually returning to parent club Cardiff in May, 2015.

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He went on to play for the likes of Newport County and Torquay United on loan, before joining MK Dons on a permanent basis in August, 2018.

Healey excelled for the Dons in League One in the 2019-20 season, scoring 11 times in 15 league starts for them and scooping the club's Player of the Year award.

He eventually left for Toulouse for a fee of £450,000 and has seemingly not looked back, as he continues to hit the goal trail.