Loughgall confirm trio 'have requested to be put on the transfer list' following Premiership relegation

In what has already been a busy period as a host of Irish League clubs look to get early business done ahead of the new campaign, Villagers stars Tiernan Kelly, Nathan Gartside and Ryan Waide are all looking to continue plying their trade in Northern Ireland’s top-flight.

Midfielder Kelly has been one of Loughgall’s top performers across recent seasons after coming through the ranks at Lakeview Park, racking up 57 Premiership appearances.

Former Derry City goalkeeper Gartside arrived from Cliftonville last summer after helping the Reds end their 45-year wait for Irish Cup glory, coming on as a substitute in an extra-time final win over Linfield, and was a mainstay between the sticks at Lakeview Park, making the league’s most saves during the 2024/25 campaign with 141.

Winger Waide, who has also spent time on the books of Linfield and Ballymena United, scored five league goals, including a brace in Loughgall’s 3-1 October win over Dungannon Swifts, and provided a further two assists throughout the most recent campaign.

"The following players have requested to be put on the transfer list with immediate effect: Tiernan Kelly, Nathan Gartside and Ryan Waide,” Loughgall posted on social media. “The players have expressed their willingness to stay and help Loughgall FC push back to the Premiership next season, but they are also interested in continuing to play at Premiership level.”

Darren Murphy, who replaced long-serving Dean Smith as Loughgall boss in late-March after departing Finn Harps, admitted towards the end of the season that there was already interest in a number of players but insisted any potential deals had to be in the club’s best interests.

“When you were eventually confirmed to be dropping into the Championship, that (keeping players) was always going to be the hardest part,” said Murphy last month. "The big thing that Dean Smith and the committee deserve a lot of credit for is that every player is under contract apart from four...if players want to leave they will have to leave on terms that suit the football club.

"I certainly don’t want people staying unhappy, but we’re in a position where the football club were decent enough to offer the players extended contracts, the players were happy to sign them at the time and there are no clauses outside of one player.

"If certain players want to move to other Premiership clubs then they will have to understand and realise that the deal has to be right for the club first and foremost.

"They already know that, I had that conversation when I walked in through the door.

"There has been a bit of interest in three or four of our current playing squad, which was always going to be the case. We will cross each bridge as it comes along.”