We are delighted to announce our first signing of the summer with the arrival of central defender, Matthew Ridley.
The 25-year-old, who is from Hartlepool in England, arrives at Inver Park following a spell at Northern Premier League side Blyth Spartans, where he captained the club during the 2024/25 season.
The towering centre-back, who stands at 6ft 5, boasts a wealth of experience across both Non-League and the Football League during his time in England. Ridley made his professional debut at just 16-years-old for Darlington 1883 in 2017, before impressive non-league spells at Billingham Town, Chester-Le-Street Town and Whitby Town earned the commanding defender a move to Sky Bet League Two side Sutton United in 2022.
Following his time with The U’s, Ridley made the move to Blyth Spartans for the second half of the 2024/25 season where he was selected to captain the club in the Northern Premier League.
Ridley will join up with the rest of the squad on Monday morning at the Larne Academy of Sport as the team return for the start of pre-season training.
Speaking on the arrival of Matthew Ridley, first team Manager Nathan Rooney said:
“I’m really pleased to bring Matt to the club. He’ll add nicely to our defensive options, making this part of the squad a really competitive unit.
“His energy and passion for the game is something I have been aware of for a while and I am looking forward to working closely with Matt on his next stage of his career.
“An ex-National League player and ex-EFL recruit at Sutton United, Matt will settle in nicely with our amazing group of players and staff and I will reiterate on my word that good, honest people will walk through these doors.”
