New Ballymena United recruit ready to help bring club back to where he feels they belong under Jim Ervin

The 22-year-old was part of a deal that resulted in striker Davy McDaid leaving the Showgrounds for former club Coleraine with Gawne moving in the opposite direction.

Gawne has spent the last three-and-a-half years on-loan with Carrick Rangers and helped them achieve their best ever Premiership points return last season as Stuart King’s men finished eighth with the winger making 31 league appearances.

It was at the Loughview Leisure Arena that Gawne played alongside his new boss Ervin and he has his targets set on helping propel Ballymena back up the table after an underwhelming 2022/23 league campaign.

"Everybody knows that Ballymena over the last couple of years have been on cup runs but in the league maybe not finished where they would have hoped,” he said. “They are a big club and the positions they have finished doesn't represent what they are.

"Jim has aspirations of getting the club back into the top-six at least and only four or five years ago they finished second. That's where Ballymena can go and be at non-stop and hopefully Jim can get us back there.

"I spoke to him a few times and he's all about getting confidence back in me and letting me play the way I want to play. He sees me fitting into the style.

"We haven't started training yet but I look forward to getting in on Saturday, meeting all the players and seeing what way Jim wants to implement his training and how he takes that step from being a player into management."

Gawne joins the likes of experienced defender Colin Coates and striker Johnny McMurray as summer recruits and he wants to learn as much as he can from “winners” in the changing room.

"They have lost a few players but brought in Johnny McMurray who knows what the club is about, Colin Coates has been around the league and won things so will be a good person to pass experience on to me as well,” he added. “It will be good to gain a lot off them because they are winners.

"There are other youngsters around the team who are taking that step up so it's good for them as well. It's exciting to see how it all develops over the next couple of years and how we get on."

There was interest from Carrick in making Gawne’s move a permanent one but despite their partnership coming to an end, the forward is full of praise for the impact King has had on his game.

"I spoke with Stuarty and Scotty (Irvine) and my relationship with them is very good,” he said. “They both said how much they wanted me at Carrick but being part of that deal with McDaid going the other way made it a bit trickier for them.

"He’s (King) very hands on. He's completed his Pro Licence and he's a very good coach.

"Anyone who has watched Carrick over the last two years has seen him on the sidelines - he's kicking the ball himself!

"I get on very well with him. He's played in the Irish League himself so knows what it's about and is now trying to implement his own tactics across his teams.

"Being a winger as well I was able to get tips off him so he helped me with my game. The last two years under Stuarty I feel I have progressed massively as an Irish League player.”