Shane McEleney believes Glentoran are starting to see the best of what he has to offer after making “a promise to myself” having endured an injury-hit start to life at The Oval.

McEleney’s arrival from Derry City was announced in November prior to officially joining during the January transfer window, but the defender was limited to only five Premiership appearances last term.

The 34-year-old has enjoyed a dream start to the current campaign, playing every minute of Glentoran’s opening three matches and has helped his side set the early pace, sitting top ahead of Saturday’s clash with Crusaders after a trio of clean sheets.

McEleney, who previously spent time in the Irish League with Larne, has formed solid partnerships alongside the likes of Daniel Larmour, Marcus Kane and Ciaran Coll in a perfect beginning for Declan Devine’s men.

placeholder image — Shane McEleney has enjoyed an impressive start to the season with Glentoran. (Photo by Desmond Loughery/Pacemaker Press)

While McEleney still feels there’s another level to reach, he’s happy to have contributed in the opening stages.

“Since joining Glentoran in January, my time on the pitch has been a bit stop-start,” he said. “I actually signed in November but couldn’t play until the transfer window opened and then a few niggles meant I never really got the run of games I wanted.

“I made a promise to myself over the summer that I would do everything possible to come back in peak condition and I worked really hard through pre-season.

"Thankfully, that effort has paid off and I feel like I’ve been able to hit the ground running.

“We’ve had a great start with three wins and three clean sheets and that’s exactly the kind of momentum you want to build early in the season. At the same time, we know we’re only three games in and the key now is consistency.

“Personally, I still feel I have another level to reach in terms of sharpness and rhythm, and as a group we all know there’s more to come.

"The standards being set in training every single day are outstanding with the intensity, the competition for places and the way everyone is pushing each other.

"If we keep that mentality and continue demanding the best from each other, we’ll only get stronger as the season goes on.”

McEleney has enjoyed making an Irish League return with the Glens and is determined to play his part in delivering success.

"Glentoran is a massive club and with that comes pressure, but as a player that’s what you want, you want to be tested every single day,” he added. “Declan, Paddy (McCourt) and Tim (McCann) drive those standards in training and make it clear what it means to represent this club and that’s something I’ve really bought into since arriving.

"I’m genuinely enjoying my time here. We’ve got a fantastic group of players, a mix of lads I knew from before and new faces who’ve come in this summer and raised the quality again.

“When you see signings like Daniel Larmour, Liam Burt, Jordan Stewart, Pat Hoban, Ryan Cooney and Peter Urminsky come through the door, it shows the intent of the club.

"There’s competition in every area of the pitch and that pushes everyone to be better. It’s a great environment to be part of and the goal now is to make sure we turn that into success on the pitch.”