Larne’s latest recruit Baris Altintop wants to play his part in helping the club achieve further success after tasting promotion glory with previous team Braintree Town last season.

Centre-back Altintop will provide yet more quality to an Inver Reds defence that boasted the Premiership’s best record last season, retaining their Gibson Cup crown while conceding only 21 times in 38 matches.

The 23-year-old arrives in the Irish League off the back of captaining Braintree to National League promotion with the Essex-based outfit coming through three extra-time play-off thrillers, including beating Worthing in the final, after finishing fifth in National League South.

Altintop spent time on the books of Ipswich Town and Colchester United as a youngster before embarking on spells in Non-League with the likes of King’s Lynn, Leiston and Dartford, and impressed in Larne’s weekend pre-season fixture against Bala Town.

placeholder image — Baris Altintop has signed for Larne. PIC: Larne FC

Lynch’s men will be back in action on Friday as they challenge Cliftonville in the Charity Shield before travelling to Latvia next week for their UEFA Champions League qualifying first round, first leg with RFS.

They’ll get their bid for a Premiership hat-trick underway on August 10 against Loughgall and Altintop is keen to help deliver more silverware.

"We’ve got the Champions League qualifying coming up really soon so we want to do well there and progress,” he told the club’s media channel. “We don’t want to just take part, we want to do well in the competition.

"The club have won back-to-back titles as well so we should be doing that again.”

Having gained experience of captaincy at previous clubs, Altintop also believes he can bring important leadership qualities to Larne’s squad – alongside key attributes, such as being comfortable playing out from the back.

"It was a great feeling to sign for this club,” he added. “It came around quickly for me, but I’m really looking forward to my future here.

"I’m a leader, a ball-playing centre-half, but I also do the dirty side really well. I’m a winner – I love winning games and I’ve always been a leader in my teams so I’m looking to improve what Larne have already got here.

"I’ve had two seasons at Braintree, twice been in the (National League South) Team of the Season and captained them to promotion, which was one of the best experiences of my life.

"It was the right time to look at something different, something bigger, a more professional club, winners of the league and going into Champions League qualifying. It’s something different for me, but I’m really looking forward to it.”