We are pleased to announce that midfielder Caolán Donnelly has agreed a one-year extension on his professional contract with the club.
The deal will ensure that the 19-year-old will remain at Inver Park until at least the end of the 2024/25 season.
Donnelly joined the Inver Reds in the summer of 2021 to take part in the club’s Scholarship Programme and was quickly identified as one of the standouts within the cohort of players joining the programme.
Immediately impressing at development level, the midfielder was one of four student athletes to be named as first team substitutes against Portadown in the NIFL Premiership just a few months after joining the Scholarship Programme.
On 14th September 2021, Donnelly made his senior debut as the then 16-year-old came off the bench in a 4-0 home victory over Limavady United in the League Cup. Almost one year later, he signed a professional contract with the club and continued to develop within the U18 and U20 squads.
This season began with the 19-year-old spending pre-season with our first team squad. One month into our 2023/24 league campaign, Donnelly made his Sports Direct Premiership debut in a 4-0 victory over Newry City.
Following a similar development path as the likes of Dylan Sloan, the midfielder sealed a loan move to the NIFL Championship in the January transfer window, signing for Ballyclare Comrades where he would score and be named Man of the Match on his debut against Strabane Athletic in the Irish Cup just a few days later.
Since moving to Dixon Park, Donnelly has been an ever-present in the heart of the Comrades’ midfield. Making 11 league appearances to date, the midfielder has scored three league goals and a string of impressive performances resulted in being named as the supporters’ Player of the Month for March.
Discussing the player’s contract extension, first team manager Tiernan Lynch said:
“Our staff are really pleased with Caolán’s continued development over the past number of seasons at the club and have been particularly impressed with his performances for Ballyclare in the Championship since January.
“Caolán is a player who has really embraced the full-time element surrounding the club and has adapted himself to live the lifestyle which is required to be a professional athlete.
“While he continues to develop his strong technical skills each day, Caolán spent pre-season with our first team squad in the summer and produced some really impressive physical results.
“We want Caolán to continue working hard and to have a strong finish to his current season with Ballyclare, and after that he will come back into the mix in pre-season when we will assess the next steps for his development.”
