Cliftonville confirm loan deal for Bolton Wanderers defender while Jim Magilton reflects on January window

The 19-year-old joined Bolton in 2022 from League of Ireland outfit UCD and will provide defensive cover after the departure of Luke Turner to St Patrick’s Athletic earlier this week.

It has been a busy January window for Cliftonville, who lost midfielder Chris Gallagher and Turner while bringing in Shea Gordon, Ben Wylie and turned David Odumosu’s loan into a permanent deal.

Manager Jim Magilton has confirmed that their Deadline Day business might not be over just yet and also wished 21-year-old Turner well for his next chapter.

"We’re in the hunt for a defender (Yoro) and maybe one more,” he said. “Luke was up last night saying his goodbyes and he has been brilliant.

"He’s a fantastic lad, fantastic character and he will be sadly missed, but life goes on and these are the challenges that every football club faces.

"We’ve got to just get on with it and we wish him all the best. Everybody can look at the negatives, but I look at the positives because those two lads (Turner and Gallagher) have done really well for us this year and are attracting interest which happens.

"We’ve brought in Ben Wylie and Shea Gordon who I have tremendous respect for and are two great players who will do very well for Cliftonville. I’m delighted with them and we wish the other two all the best – it’s part and parcel of football life.”

Gallagher departed to play full-time football at Larne and while it can be difficult to financially compete with the Irish League’s full-time powers, Magilton instead focuses on the recruitment opportunities for his own team.

"It’s hard to compete against it in terms of money because it’s a short career and players have to do what they have to do during their career,” he added. “That’s part and parcel of football.

"What we concentrate on is recruitment and we’re constantly looking, not just in a window, but throughout the season to rebuild. I inherited a very good squad and that’s credit to Paddy (McLaughlin).

"I’m trying to add to that great squad and the job for Gerard (Lyttle) and I is to look at where we can strengthen and always looking for that. You’re looking to get the best out of this group but you’re always looking to add whether you’re in a window or not.”

The January window can be a difficult one to get deals over the line with frantic last minute business and Magilton has previous experience of one example from his time at Ipswich.

“I remember in one window in particular while I was managing Ipswich and I was interested in a player we’d just played against in the FA Cup,” he said. "I really liked him and we didn’t have a big pot of money and I went for it – his name was Jon Walters (who went on to play in the Premier League for Stoke City).

"Jon was at Chester and he was magnificent against us. We got it done at 11pm on Deadline Day and the rest is history.

"I like to get it done early, but your hunt for good players goes on in and out of a window so if a good player comes up that you think will make a difference then you’ll do everything you can to bring them in. That’s what we’re going to do at Cliftonville as well.”