'You can see this is a club on the up' - Larne confirm arrival of ex-Bournemouth youngster after two years in Portugal

The transfer window may have slammed shut on Friday evening, but Irish League clubs can still add free agents to their squad and ex-Bournemouth academy prospect Besant will now look to challenge number one shot-stopper Rohan Ferguson and Dylan Graham for first team minutes at Inver Park.

Besant (21) spent two years on the books of Portuguese sides C.D Mafra, C.D Nacional, C.D Santa Clara, FC Alverca, who ply their trade in the second-tier, and was most recently with English Southern League Premier Division South outfit Bracknell Town.

“I’m very excited to be here and you can see this is a club on the up,” he told the club’s website. “The infrastructure is always improving, the club is well run and you can see what the team is achieving.

“Every goalkeeper wants to fight for that number one shirt, but you also need that good environment to train with everyone and I think we have that here.”

Reigning Irish League champions Larne are playing catch-up on Premiership fixtures – Sunday’s 1-1 draw against Coleraine marked the first of their Gibson Cup defence – having secured a place in the Conference League league phase, where they’re set for trips to Azerbaijan, Norway and Slovenia while Lynch’s men will take on St Gallen, Shamrock Rovers and KAA Gent at Windsor Park.

They recruited eight players during the summer window – Besant is now a ninth arrival – and boss Lynch says it’s important to have depth with a hectic schedule ahead.

"We’re always on the lookout to make every department of the squad even stronger and Joe arrives to help us do that with the goalkeepers,” he said. “It’s no secret that we have a busy schedule ahead of us, in the next few months especially, so growing the squad is important for us.”