Coleraine add to summer signings with deal for Darren Cole

The 31-year-old joins the Bannsiders after appearing for the club in Saturday's pre-season victory against Ards.

Edinburgh-born Cole started his career at Rangers and made his debut for the club at the age of 18 in a Champions League tie against Turkish side Bursaspor.

After a loan spell at Partick Thistle, the defender would enjoy a six-month stint at Morton before spending 18 months at Livingston, where he was named captain for the 2015-16 season and lifted the ScottishChallenge Cup.

A year at Broxburn Athletic would follow before Cole was signed by Kenny Shiels at Derry City, which would culminate in a four-and-a-half year spell at The Brandywell and success in the League of Ireland Cup.

However, Cole would move north of the border as he joined Glentoran in the 2022 January transfer window before spending last season on loan at Dungannon Swifts.

After previously working under both Kenny and Dean Shiels during his career, boss Oran Kearney admits he received positive reports on his new recruit.

He said: "After speaking to Kenny and Dean, they could only say good things about Darren.

"He's had a couple of unfortunate injuries in the last few years which haven't been muscular, but rather damage caused through challenges.

"He is probably a week or two away from full speed but he's shown through training sessions and the game against Ards that he has a calmness and quality on the ball.

"He can read the game well and with the injuries sustained to Rodney Brown and Adam Mullan, it will give us an added depth in that area of the pitch."

And Coleraine have also confirmed the arrival of former Fleetwood Town and Northern Ireland youth international defender Jake Wallace.

The 19-year-old moved from Glentoran’s youth academy to English outfit Fleetwood Town in October 2020 but was released this summer and has been training with the Bannsiders during pre-season.

Right-back Wallace is a Portstewart native and, along with Cole, joins Graham Kelly and Davy McDaid as summer arrivals at the Showgrounds.