'I want to make my mark there' - James Teelan hoping loan spell at Carrick Rangers can set up future Crusaders success

After scoring 10 Premiership goals for Newry City last season, including five in the split as Darren Mullen’s side staved off the threat of relegation, Teelan, one of the brightest young talents in the Irish League, made a summer move to the North Belfast club, signing a two-year professional deal.

He netted on debut as Stephen Baxter’s men defeated Larne 2-0 to win the Charity Shield in July and struck twice in the Premiership – including once in a 9-0 victory over his new temporary team – but has generally found opportunities limited to date on the Shore Road, playing just 343 minutes across 15 league appearances.

With game time a priority, Teelan moved to Stuart King’s Carrick in the final week of the January transfer window and has already made an impact, coming off the bench on Saturday as they recovered from 2-0 down at half-time to rescue a point against Glentoran at The Oval.

"Hopefully I can have a good spell with Stuart and Carrick and go back into pre-season buzzing and hopefully get a good run at it next year,” he said. “I want to make my mark there (at Crusaders).

"I knew with the players that Crusaders have that it was going to take a little while to break in. I know I'm going to have to bide my time and I'm looking forward to going back for pre-season and giving it another crack.

"I really enjoy Crusaders and have enjoyed it from the second I walked in. It's a professional environment, you're playing with great players and competing with the best teams, but at the minute game time is the most important thing and I really like what Stuart has going at Carrick. I'm really enjoying it with Stuart and he's a great manager."

Teelan joins a Carrick outfit that are looking to create club history by breaking into the Premiership’s top-six – which would also secure a European play-off spot – for the first time and the ex-Dungannon Swifts winger says that ambition is what made the Loughview Leisure Arena his preferred destination.

"I thought it would be best if I went out somewhere and played football because that's really all you want to do at the end of the day,” he added. “It's important for me to get experience and get playing to keep improving.

"You can only improve if you're playing matches so I need that at this moment in time and Carrick was a great fit for me.

"It's the ambition they have for this season. They're looking to get into the top-six and there's a big push for that at the minute. It's very exciting and it's great to be trying to help achieve those ambitions."

When Teelan returns to Seaview in the summer he will have a different boss to try and impress with Baxter, the world’s longest-serving manager, set to step down at the end of this season after 19 years and almost 1,000 games in charge.

"I was surprised (by the news),” he said. “Stephen brought me in and I really enjoyed working with him.

"I only had him for six months but it'll be strange for the club to move on without him. He thought it was the right time and he's done very well for the club. It'll be strange going back without him there."