We are delighted to announce that Scholarship graduate Ben Walker has signed a two-year professional contract at Inver Park.
Alongside signing a full-time deal, the club has agreed for the 18-year-old to spend the 2023/24 season at Player-Fit Championship side Bangor.
Naturally a left back, Walker has experienced a rapid rise to professional terms having spent the past two years as part of the club’s Scholarship Programme. Joining at the age of 16, the Bangor-native began life as an Inver Red playing for the club’s U18 National League side.
During the next two years, Walker progressed through the Scholarship ranks, moving up to the U18 NIFL squad before further advancing into the U20s side where he became a regular for the duration of last season.
While performing week in week out at a high level for our U20 squad, Walker was selected as one of the club’s six student athletes who represented the Northern Ireland Schoolboys in the 2022 Centenary Shield. The defender finished the season on a high, coming off the bench to make his senior debut for Tiernan Lynch’s first team against Coleraine on the final day of the season.
Joining Walker at Bangor Fuels Arena is fellow Scholarship graduate Sean Brown, who enjoyed a breakthrough season with the Inver Reds during our last campaign.
The highly rated defender made his senior debut in our victory against Ballymena United in the Co. Antrim Shield last September and was named Man of the Match following an impressive display. In the same month, Brown penned his own professional contract with the Invermen.
Reflecting the latest player to come through our Scholarship Programme, first team manager Tiernan Lynch said:
“We are absolutely delighted to be able to offer Ben professional terms following a real breakthrough year for the player within our Scholarship set-up. Having climbed the ladder from U18 National League to our U20 squad over the past two years, Ben is an excellent example of what hard work within a full-time environment can produce.
“While the hard work is only just beginning with Ben, we are really excited for the future and look forward to seeing him further develop both technically and physically.”
Joining Walker at Clandeboye Park is fellow Scholarship graduate Sean Brown, who enjoyed a breakthrough season with the Inver Reds during our last campaign.
The highly rated defender made his senior debut in our victory against Ballymena United in the Co. Antrim Shield last September and was named Man of the Match following an impressive display. In the same month, Brown penned his own professional contract with the Invermen.
Discussing the loan moves, Tiernan Lynch added:
“Bangor are a club who we have a strong relationship with, and we trust Lee [Feeney] and his coaching team with our young players. Sean and Ben will now get vital experience playing senior football every week and that will further add to their development as players.
“The [Player-Fit] Championship is a very competitive league and is one which young players can drop down to and get a real taste for what it means to battle for three points each week. We will monitor both players’ progress closely throughout the season, and they will continue training on a full-time basis with our squads at Larne Academy of Sport during their loan spells which will further support their development.
