Championship's top scorer reveals reasons behind surprise return to Irish League club and wants to 'finish my career here'

The 32-year-old, who has also previously spent time with Portadown, Ballymena United and Ards, is back for his third spell at the Blanchflower Stadium following a stunning season to date, netting 21 times in 23 league appearances for the Duns.

No player in the Irish League pyramid has scored more goals this term than McLellan and his superb run included striking in seven consecutive matches across November and December.

McLellan is a proven marksman at Championship level having registered double figures in each of his last five seasons, including 12 for the Welders during the 2023/24 campaign, and his arrival helps soften the blow of Tiarnan O’Connor’s departure to Larne.

"It's good to be back at a place I played a long time,” McLellan told the club’s media channel. “I'm enjoying being back at the club.

"Being top goalscorer in the league there has been a lot of interest and clubs contacting...nothing really interested me to be honest and the only thing that interested me was coming back here.

"I've kept in contact with a lot of people at the club because it's a place where I've spent a lot of time and it just took legs. I was very interested in speaking to the Welders again and I'm happy to be back.

"Last year I had a bit of a turbulent year with my mum passing away early in the season. I had a good start to the season and then that impacted me and I couldn't really get going again.

"I didn't feel I was playing as much as I should have been, which I spoke to Paul (Kee, manager) about.

"I always enjoy putting the ball in the back of the net and not a lot of people would have expected this move to happen, but sometimes you just feel there's a better opportunity and this is the best place for me right now."

McLellan has spent nearly five years in total at the Welders across spells and revealed that a move to the club from Ballymena in 2014 helped keep him in the game after contemplating retirement.

Now back in familiar surroundings, McLellan is determined to finish his career with the East Belfast outfit.

"The biggest thing that really attracted me to the Welders is I feel like it's my club,” he added. “It's where I spent a large portion of my career and when I first came to the Welders I was thinking about retiring.

"Gary Smyth gave me an opportunity which got me back enjoying my football again and I fell in love with the club.

"It's a great club...I've memories of mum being here at matches and both of my sons will hopefully be able to see me play and enjoy themselves.

"If I didn't come to the Welders in the first place I don't think I'd be playing football now and I have a huge debt to pay them for that.

"Where I'm at now at this stage of my career, it feels like the right decision to finish my career here, whenever that is."