H&W Welders boss Paul Kee admits it was a “no-brainer” to bring Michael McLellan – the Irish League’s top marksman this season – back to the club with concrete interest continuing to grow in talisman Tiarnan O’Connor.

Former Linfield striker McLellan had spent three years with the Welders before joining their East Belfast rivals Dundela during the summer and enjoyed a superb start to the season, scoring 21 league goals in 23 appearances.

The 32-year-old is a proven goalscorer in Northern Ireland’s second-tier, netting double figures across each of the last five seasons for three different clubs, and is a timely addition for Kee’s side as they chase Premiership promotion.

McLellan’s arrival would also help soften the potential blow of losing star man O’Connor, who is the subject of interest from a number of top-flight clubs with the 22-year-old netting 18 times this term.

placeholder image — Michael McLellan has returned to former club H&W Welders from Dundela. (Photo by Sarah Harkness/Pacemaker Press)

Kee’s preference is to keep both O’Connor and Josh Kee – another Welders youngster who has plenty of admirers – until the summer and McLellan’s addition only helps further boost their attacking options.

"Michael left us in the summer because he felt he needed games and the Duns had made a good offer to him,” he said. “There's no question he has done brilliantly for them.

"Michael missed some aspects of what he was doing at the Welders so when we found out there might be interest in Tiarnan it was a no-brainer.

"He didn't go under any cloud - he left for football reasons. At that point we had three or four strikers and Tiarnan was always going to play because of what has materialised now.

"Michael is a proven goalscorer, is very experienced and is the leading scorer...if he scores that amount of goals in the second half of the season it'll mean our team is going well.

"It's going to be an interesting time because with the amount of serious interest in Tiarnan there's an outside chance we lose him in this window.

"Ideally I'd like him to stay but if there's an offer which the club and player can't refuse then we'll have to look at it.

"It would be great to have them playing together because they're the top two scorers in the league. That's exciting and the two of them have the credentials to excel in the Championship.

"There's definitely excitement there and I'm sure the players are thrilled Michael has came in."

Kee has also moved to sign Crusaders duo Jonny James and Bradley Maguire on loan until the end of this season after both made their first Premiership appearances of the campaign earlier this month against Dungannon Swifts.

"We've been watching the two of them for a long time and Noel Mitchell really likes them,” he added. “I trust his judgement and I really like them as well - they seem two great kids and we feel they've enough to make a contribution.

"Playing in the Championship is a different type of football than what they are used to in the U20s so we're hoping they can adjust to that in training and they've done really well. We hope they have a big part to play."