Portadown manager Matthew Tipton says he is “really pleased” that midfielder Barney McKeown has extended his stay at Shamrock Park.
The 20-year-old has signed a one-year deal with the Orchard County club as the Ports aim to further cement their position in the top flight after gaining promotion from the Bluefin Sport Championship at the end of the 2019/20 season.
The former Everton trainee played his youth football at Portadown before moving to Merseyside in 2017.
However, things didn’t quite go to plan at the Toffees and McKeown returned to Northern Ireland to sign for Darren Mullen’s Newry in 2019 before signing for Portadown a year later.
The midfielder has scored one goal in 25 appearances for Matthew Tipton’s men and the manager insists that it is a great piece of business for the club.
“I’m really pleased that Barney has agreed to stay with us for another year,” Tipton told the club website.
“We only got to see Barney in fits and starts last year due to a few niggly injuries but we are now hopeful that with him being on our program over the summer he’ll be ready for pre-season to get an unbroken run of sessions under his belt.”
Meanwhile elsewhere in the Danske Bank Premiership Coleraine attacker Alexander Gawne is set to return to Carrick Rangers on loan next season.
The frontman came through the youth setup at the Ballycastle Road club and went on to make 33 appearances for the Bannsiders where he scored crucial goals against Linfield and Cliftonville before heading out on loan last summer.
The 20-year-old had an injury-hampered campaign last time out but he will be hoping to make a lasting impression on recently appointed Carrick boss Stuart King when the season commences.
“I’m looking forward to starting pre-season and playing matches again after last year being punctuated with injuries. I feel I did well when I did have the chance of playing and I look forward to a consistent successful season.”
Confirming Gawne will again join Carrick on loan this season, Manager Stuart King says the attacker will give his team something different in the top half of the pitch.
“I am delighted to have Alex on board, he adds pace to the frontline and despite his injury problems last season he is keen to move past that and kick his career on.
He is a player I really wanted to keep at the club and I fought hard to do that with other teams keen to take him on loan.
It’s a big season for him now and I hope he will show what he can do and give us another dimension up front.”
