'He will add real quality to our squad' - Glenavon manager Stephen McDonnell delighted to secure services of talented Irish League teenager
Glenavon manager Stephen McDonnell is confident new signing Paul McGovern will “add real quality” to the Lurgan Blues after confirming the talented teenager's arrival from Newry City.
The Northern Ireland youth international was handed his Premiership debut by Gary Boyle aged 15 at the start of last season with McGovern going on to make 13 top-flight appearances while he scored a maiden senior goal in Newry’s BetMcLean Cup quarter-final defeat to Dungannon Swifts.
McGovern, who is the younger brother of current Dungannon striker John, was part of the County Armagh SuperCupNI side which narrowly missed out on Premier Section success this summer after losing to Brighton & Hove Albion on penalties and made his Northern Ireland U17 debut against Turkiye this month – a squad which included new club teammate Chris Atherton.
The 16-year-old will now link up with Glenavon ahead of Friday’s trip to Ballymena United and McDonnell says they’ll be happy to help develop McGovern’s undoubted potential at Mourneview Park.
“We first seen Paul play against ourselves in the Mid Ulster Cup last season and showed us that evening the ability and potential he possess,” he told the club’s website. ”From that point on we have monitored him very closely and feel he will add real quality to our squad.
"Paul is another young player that we are happy to work alongside and help develop his potential.”
Elsewhere, Mid-Ulster rivals Portadown have confirmed the loan signing of centre-back Baris Altintop from Larne while summer signing Jack Duncan has departed Shamrock Park for a loan spell at Championship outfit Dundela.
Altintop joined the Inver Reds in July having helped Braintree to promotion to the National League last season, captaining the club and being named in the National League South ‘Team of the Season’ in the process.
"We’re delighted to get Baris on board,” Ports boss Niall Currie told the club’s website. “This one came completely out of the blue, a massive thank you to Gerry Flynn and Tiernan Lynch at Larne.
"It was a situation which evolved and they’ve been fantastic in our dealings in regards to loaning us Baris for this period of time.His pedigree is fantastic, captaining and leading Braintree to promotion last season so the opportunity to add him to our squad was too good to turn down.
“In regards to Jack Duncan, he’s going to Dundela to get Irish League experience while Baris comes to us for the same thing which we get the benefits of and it works for everyone involved. Baris is young, big, athletic and a big talker so we’re excited to see him in a Portadown shirt.”