We are delighted to announce that Harry Cavan Youth Cup winning captain Jack Hastings has signed his first-ever professional contract with the Inver Reds.
The 18-year-old forward pens the new deal with his hometown club following an electrifying season at U18 and U20 level, where he scored 36 goals including the winning strike to secure our first Harry Cavan Youth Cup in 46 years.
Having made his senior debut in an Irish Cup tie against Crumlin United in January 2023, Hastings made his Sports Direct Premiership debut for Tiernan Lynch’s side during last month’s 5-0 victory over Coleraine in the final game of the season.
Coming off the bench in the game against Coleraine, the forward would cap off an excellent season for the club by providing an assist for Scott Allan’s goal, much to the delight of the sold-out home crowd on the day.
On the International stage, Hastings has also enjoyed more success this campaign. He was part of the Northern Ireland Schools FA U18 squad that went on to win the Centenary Shield without losing a game, scoring in a 3-0 victory over England along the way. Over the past year, he has also featured for the Northern Ireland U17’s squad.
Upon putting pen to paper, Hastings said:
“I’ve worked really hard to achieve this [professional deal] over the past two years and I’m so proud to have come down today with my mum and dad to have signed the contract – it was unbelievable.
“Being a local boy from Larne, it feels that bit more special that I play for my hometown team and I love that aspect of it. Whenever I got the opportunity to play against Coleraine last month, I had young kids coming up to me after the game and I found that amazing, it’s a real honour to represent this club and the town.
“We had a really good year [as a Scholarship Programme] winning the Harry Cavan Cup and for myself personally scoring a lot goals, so I have a strong foundation to build on going into next season, when I’ll hope to play some more senior football and to build on my experience in that environment.”
