Northern Ireland U19 star admits Glentoran return 'feels really special'
Northern Ireland U19 international Rhys Walsh admits it “feels really special” to be back with Glentoran after returning to The Oval following a spell at Sunderland.
Walsh made three Premiership appearances and featured in Europe for the Glens before sealing a move to the Black Cats in 2024.
The 20-year-old played 25 times in Premier League 2 across the past two seasons, scoring three goals and providing three assists, and gained senior experience in a loan spell at South Shields.
Now back in the Irish League, Walsh feels a return to familiar surroundings can help him take his game to another level.
"Coming back to Glentoran feels really special,” said Walsh. “This is the club where I grew up, where I developed as a player and where I made my first steps into senior football, so to be back means a huge amount to me and my family.
"I loved my time at Sunderland and I'm grateful for everything the club did for me.
"Training and playing in that environment every day helped me develop a lot and I feel I've come back a better player because of it.
"But now I'm back home and my focus is fully on Glentoran. I feel this is the right place for me to kick on and take the next step in my career.
"So much has changed since I was last here. The set-up is extremely professional and it's clear how much the club has progressed over the last couple of years.
"I've trained with the squad for most of pre-season and it's been brilliant. There are some top players here and the lads have been excellent with me from day one. It's a great group and they've made settling back in really easy.
"The conversations I had with Declan and Paul were really positive. They showed a lot of belief in me and outlined a clear plan for how they want me to develop, which was important.
"Having someone like Paddy McCourt around the club is another massive bonus. He was an unbelievable player and someone who played in the positions I play, so being able to learn from him every day can only help me improve.
"I'm still only 19 and I know there's a lot more to come from me. I want to work hard, keep improving and do everything I can to help the team be successful.
"I'm delighted to get everything sorted and I can't wait to pull on the jersey again and play in front of the supporters.”
Walsh becomes Declan Devine’s third summer signing after Greg Sloggett and Zeno Ibsen Rossi, and joins in time for Thursday’s Conference League first qualifying round opener against RFS.
"Rhys is a player we're delighted to bring back to the football club,” said Devine. "The opportunity to spend time working with him throughout pre-season has shown us exactly why Sunderland invested in him and why he remains such an exciting young talent.
"The last two-and-a-half years have been excellent for his development.
"He's worked in a top professional environment every day, challenged himself against high-quality opposition and returned to Glentoran a better and more rounded player because of it.
"He's still only 19, but he already has valuable experience behind him and enormous potential ahead of him.
"From a football perspective, he brings qualities that supporters love to see.
"He has pace, bravery and creativity, he's comfortable on either wing and he's a player who wants to make things happen when he gets on the ball.
"Most importantly, he's hungry. He wants to learn, he wants to improve and he wants to prove himself.
"We believe Glentoran is the ideal place for him to continue that development and we're excited to see what he can achieve in a Glentoran shirt."