Cliftonville confirm signing of in-demand Irish League striker predicted to become 'top player'
Cliftonville have confirmed the arrival of Championship top scorer Brian Healy from H&W Welders.
Healy has been in sensational form at the Blanchflower Stadium since joining from Newry City last summer, scoring 22 goals in 23 league appearances with his final contribution netting four times in the Welders’ emphatic 12-0 triumph over Armagh City on Saturday.
The 21-year-old had attracted attention from a host of Premiership clubs, but it’s Cliftonville who have won the race for his signature.
It’s another major boost for Jim Magilton’s men following the return of academy product Liam McStravick from Airdrie earlier this week.
Healy made 35 Premiership appearances as a teenager during the 2022/23 season for Newry after joining from St. Oliver Plunkett and has taken his game to another level in recent years.
Speaking to the News Letter earlier this month, Welders boss Paul Kee voiced his determination to keep Healy beyond January as the Belfast club look to seal top-flight promotion.
"There has been interest in him since before the summer window closed,” he said. “He came to us and hit the ground running.
"A couple of people asked me about him then...we signed him to an extension. If you have a goalscorer at any level who is playing in a team playing a certain way, it's going to bring attention.
"Healy, like a number of players in our team, are rightly interesting clubs because they are very talented boys.
"The Welders have aspirations, we're in the top-three at the minute and want to go one better this year and finish at least second.
"We're at a key stage of the season and losing Brian would have a big impact.
"Brian was playing on the wing at Newry, but we put him through the middle as a centre-forward and trained him there from day one.
"He's only 21 and there's still a lot of improvement in Brian.
"He could be a real top, top player and he could be banging in goals in the Premiership in the future."
Elsewhere, Dungannon Swifts have confirmed the return of Corey Smith on a permanent deal from Coleraine.
Northern Ireland youth international Smith came through the ranks at Stangmore Park before joining Larne in 2023 and moved to Coleraine the following year.
The 20-year-old spent the first half of this season on loan at Glenavon, racking up 19 league appearances, but will now return to familiar surroundings in Co Tyrone.