Larne confirm arrival of in-demand Irish League duo after tracking them 'over a period of time' while striker set for Loughgall return
Larne’s Head of Football Nathan Rooney admits they’ve been tracking the progress of both Tiarnan O’Connor and Josh Kee “over a period of time” after the Inver Reds won the race to sign the in-demand H&W Welders duo.
Both players attracted interest from a number of top-flight clubs this month after impressing in the Championship for promotion-chasing Welders.
O’Connor scored 18 goals in 24 league appearances at Blanchflower Stadium and the 22-year-old striker will make an immediate switch to Inver Park while Kee, who has netted eight times across competitions, will return to the Welders on loan for the rest of this season.
Welders boss Paul Kee had previously spoken about his desire to retain O’Connor’s services until at least the summer but moved this week to secure the return of Michael McLellan – the Championship’s top scorer – from Dundela which will help soften the blow of such a big loss.
It’s also a proud moment for Paul as 22-year-old son Josh makes the move into full-time football and his return on loan is another major boost for the East Belfast outfit.
“We have been tracking the form of both players over a period of time now and have been really impressed with what we’ve seen,” said Rooney. “We delivered our plans to both players and outlined how we see them playing huge parts for our football club moving forward
“Tiarnan comes with a presence and an ability to cause real problems for defenders with his instinctive style and he has real eye for goal and these credentials will add so much to our playing squad.
“Josh has a real calmness and a guile about his game and he will add to our midfield with his ability to play with a high intensity and his attitude to work hard off the ball.
“We are really looking forward to getting to work with both players and introducing them to our amazing fans.”
It’s a statement of intent from Larne, who lost both Levi Ives and Joe Thomson to Coleraine and Glentoran respectively on Thursday, and have also confirmed that Benji Magee will return to Loughgall on loan for the rest of this season.
Magee joined the County Antrim outfit last summer after scoring 16 goals in 36 Premiership appearances for Dean Smith’s side but has struggled for opportunity at Larne, only making four league starts.
The 22-year-old had a big impact on the European stage, providing an assist for Andy Ryan which sealed Larne’s spot in the UEFA Conference League, and Rooney hopes a stint in familiar surroundings will benefit Magee.
“Benji will return to us with the momentum that he requires and will come back with four months more playing experience where he can hit the ground running in pre-season,” he said. “At that point, new targets will be set for the next stage of the club’s development.
“Benji goes with our best wishes and we will continue to work with Benji in training throughout the week.”