Rodney McAree confident new Linfield signing Ethan McGee has the potential to follow fellow Dungannon Swifts youth star Terry Devlin across the water

McGee became the headline signing of the January window so far when the league-leading Blues confirmed his arrival at Windsor Park for an undisclosed fee on Friday.

The 21-year-old developed into an important figure in Dungannon’s first team across recent years, scoring a crucial goal in last season’s promotion/relegation play-off against Annagh United as the County Tyrone outfit preserved their Premiership status and took on the captain’s armband in the injury absence of Chris Hegarty during this campaign.

The Swifts’ academy continues to be amongst the best in class, producing an array of young players that are now thriving in England, including Liverpool’s Conor Bradley and Devlin, who made the move to Portsmouth from Glentoran last summer.

While undoubtedly an immediate blow to Dungannon’s squad, McAree is backing a player he has known from his school days to thrive in full-time football.

"We have to wish Ethan the best and hope it works out for him,” he told the club’s media channel. “He’s going to be a terrific addition to Linfield’s panel.

"He’s a fantastic kid, but it’s always disappointing for us when we lose one of our good players, our vice-captain, a lad that has came through Dungannon United Youth, Dungannon Swifts and been here a lifetime.

"He’s one of those lads that you get really attached to and he’s a great kid. I was with him up at the school when he was going through his further education and then got the chance to work with him as first team manager here.

"He’s one of those kids you love to work with and you want him there all the time, but when you have the ability and talent he has, you always run the risk that you’re going to lose him. Linfield is a massive move for him, but let’s hope there’s a bigger move down the line too.”

Devlin progressed through the youth ranks at Stangmore Park before moving to Glentoran in the summer of 2022, where McAree worked closely with him in his role as Glens manager.

The Northern Ireland youth international only spent one season at The Oval after impressing and the current Swifts boss believes McGee is capable of something similar.

“Ethan has the capabilities of that,” added McAree. “He’s going to get the right guidance and right information when he goes to Linfield and he’s going to get the right coaching.

"If he continues to listen and continues to do everything that he can to help himself improve, I think he has every opportunity for a move like that.”