He matured as a player with Harps; his impressive performances helped to bring home runners-up medals in the League of Ireland and Tyler All-Ireland Cup.
[3] He played two seasons of Fourth Division football before returning across the Irish Sea, after being signed by Coleraine manager Victor Hunter in July 1980.
[citation needed] His form with the "Bannsiders" during the 1981–82 campaign brought the club to the verge of an Irish League and Cup double before they lost out to Linfield on both fronts.
Healy made his international debut in an experimental line-up which drew with Scotland in the British Home Championship and won his second cap the following month as Northern Ireland finished their World Cup preparations in the worst of fashions, with a 3–0 defeat by Wales.
He won his fourth and final cap in the first post-World Cup game, Northern Ireland losing 2–0 in Austria.
In October 1993, Healy returned to Coleraine as player-manager, taking over from Willie McFaul and back to Derry as manager in December 1994.
In under four seasons in charge at the Brandywell Stadium, Healy led Derry to League and FAI Cup successes before resigning in 1998.
Whilst playing in Northern Ireland, Healy served a four-year apprenticeship as a butcher and spent nights as a club singer.