Coleraine sign midfielder Ben Wylie from Portadown

​The midfielder has joined the Bannsiders on a two-and-a-half-year deal after an undisclosed fee was agreed with the Ports.

Wylie began his career at Linfield before joining Celtic in 2020, where he spent time away from Parkhead on loan at Ballymena United and Airdrie.

The 23-year-old was then on the books at Swedish side Ytterhogdals for a six-month period, before returning home and joining Cliftonville in January 2024.

Wylie joined forces with Portadown in August 2024 and he has been a mainstay for Niall Currie’s men in the Irish Premiership since then.

Welcoming Wylie to Ballycastle Road, Coleraine boss Ruaidhri Higgins said: “I think what Niall Currie and Portadown have done for Ben is give him a place and a foundation to really play and express himself.

“I think we’re going to get the benefits of it as his potential is now coming to the fore and we’ve got a really talented midfield player, who’s not just talented, but he has an edge about him as well and I think that’s really important in what we’re trying to do.

“What I loved about Ben was how keen he was to come here. Financials weren’t really top of his priority list, he was just desperate to come and be a part of it here. You can hear the excitement in his voice, it’s refreshing and he wants to come and play with the good players that we have here.

“Ben can play in a number of different midfield roles and as you’ve seen with Will Patching this year, we’veutilised him in different roles.

“He’s 23 years of age, he’s got so much potential and we’re delighted to be able to help him try and fulfil his potential.”