Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Belfast Live
Belfast Live
Sport
Darren Fullerton

N Ireland U21s v Spain U21s: Dungannon Swifts boss predicts bright future for Terry Devlin

Dungannon Swifts boss and former Northern Ireland forward Dean Shiels believes Terry Devlin has the character and talent to carve out a bright future for himself in the sport.

Devlin, still only 18, shone for the Swifts last season and is part of John Schofield’s U21s squad for Friday's Euro qualifier against Spain at Inver Park (1pm).

Shiels, who won 14 Northern Ireland caps between 2005 and 2012, said: “Terry is a massive talent and he deserves the recognition he has got from Northern Ireland so far. He has almost been fast-tracked.

Read more: Larne new boy Leroy Millar issues a message of thanks to Ballymena United

“He played most of the season with us as a 17-year-old, but he played at such a high level for such a young player. His attitude is fantastic and he has a great desire to be a footballer.

“I’m delighted that he was called into Ian Baraclough’s recent senior training camp in England and is also now part of the U21s. As a player, he has a real chance.”

Shiels described Devlin, who made his U21s debut in a friendly defeat to France in Calais in March, as “a bit of an old fashioned, box-to-box midfielder”.

“He’s a very industrious player and aggressive,” he said. “He’s good in the air, competitive with his tackles and he’s also got a good passing range.

“He has had such bad luck with a couple of injuries since I’ve been Dungannon manager, but things really started coming good for him from January on.

“He has impressed and I expect him to have a big impact for us next season.”

Northern Ireland U21s, who are out of contention in their Euro qualifying group, face table-topping Spain today before concluding their campaign in Lithuania on Tuesday.

Read more: Larne seal high-profile signing of Ballymena United captain Leroy Millar

Read more: Trai Hume receives league title medal after surprise visit

Sign up to our free sports newsletter to get the latest headlines to your inbox.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.