IRISH LEAGUE: New Glens deal was '˜easy' decision for Curtis Allen

CURTIS Allen insists it was a '˜relatively easy' decision to commit his future to Glentoran after the striker penned a new three year extension to his current deal.
Glentoran's Curtis Allen is delighted to sign a three year extension to his current deal at the Oval club.Glentoran's Curtis Allen is delighted to sign a three year extension to his current deal at the Oval club.
Glentoran's Curtis Allen is delighted to sign a three year extension to his current deal at the Oval club.

Confirmation of the new contract, which will keep the experienced hitman at the Oval until May 2020, ends speculation linking him with a move to several Irish League clubs.

However, Allen, who took his season’s tally to four goals in the 1-0 win against Ards last weekend, says he was never contemplating a move away from the Glens and is delighted to have finalised a new deal.

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“I’m really glad to get this sorted as easily and quickly as we did and I’m really looking forward to the next three seasons with the Glens,” he said.

“There was a lot of speculation about other clubs and pre-contracts but I never felt that I wanted to leave the Glens.

“It was just a matter of sitting down with ‘Gaz’ (Gary Haveron) and the Board,” he added. “Once I did that and heard what ‘Gaz’ has planned for the next few seasons, it was relatively easy and very quick to finalise the new contract. “There’s still a long way to go this season and a lot to play for with the European playoff places all up for grabs and the Irish Cup still to start.

“We haven’t been creating a lot of chances but when we get key players back from injury I’m confident I can get a lot more goals as we move further up the table. I’m really hopeful we can finish this season a lot better than we started it”.

Priority Signing

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And Glentoran boss, Gary Haveron insists it was a ‘priority’ to get Allen tied up on a long term deal.

“This new contract shows a great level of commitment to our future by both Curtis and by the club,” said the Glens boss. “There are very few players capable of consistently delivering 20 goals a season at this level so securing Curtis for the next three years was an absolute priority for me.

“He’s a real quality finisher and any club with ambition needs one of those. I’m delighted with the support I’ve had from the club in getting this over the line. Curtis has been inundated with phone calls and expressions of interest from other clubs but he’s made clear from the start that his overriding preference was to stay with the Glens.

“He’s living in East Belfast now so he really understands Glentoran and what it means to people in the area. Curtis has really bought into what I want to do here. He wants to spend the best years of his career at Glentoran so it’s now up to the rest of us to help him deliver on the pitch.”

Former Coleraine striker, Curtis joined Glentoran from Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the January 2014 transfer window. Since then he has scored 54 goals in 118 appearances.

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