Ethan McGee signing his first professional contract along with Head of Youth Development Dixie Robinson
Right back, Ethan McGee, has signed his first professional contract with Dungannon Swifts FC.
McGee, 18, has impressed so far in recent appearances and Head of Youth Development, Dixie Robinson, has moved quickly to secure the signature of the young defender.
As many of the young players in the squad, Ethan has come through the ranks of Dungannon United Youth.
He has also been involved with the Super Cup NI Co. Tyrone teams where he was part of the squad that defeated Scottish giants Celtic at the Coleraine Showgrounds in 2019.
It’s a big achievement for myself, I’ve played for the club since I was 14 years old and came the whole way up through the youth so obviously I’m delighted to get my first professional deal. I’ve been given a great opportunity to break into the first team and I feel I’ve grabbed that with both hands. Now I’m just looking to progress even further and get as many caps and appearances as possible.
Ethan McGee
Head of Youth Development, Dixie Robinson, is excited at getting Ethan on board.
Delighted to get Ethan signed up, I’ve been very impressed with his appearances so far. He got his debut in the second half against Glenavon, then his full debut against Glentoran where he won Man of the Match. We have always known that Ethan has had the capabilities to push on so we are delighted to get this sorted for him.
Dixie Robinson
Speaking after the Glentoran game, Michael Carvill spoke very highly of Ethan;
Playing in front of him for most of the match and he was talking throughout. I said to him about the quality of Robbie McDaid, Connor McMenamin and Donnelly pulling out on his side and you’re not going to get much of a tougher debut but I thought he was outstanding, he did very well and he was confident.
Michael Carvill
Ethan has signed a THREE AND A HALF year contract and we wish him every success in a Dungannon Swifts FC Jersey
Dungannon Swifts are delighted to announce the appointment of Dean Sheils as our new manager.
Dean, 36, is no stranger to Northern Ireland football fans as he has represented his country no fewer than 14 times and has also starred for clubs including Hibernian (117 apps) and Rangers (90 apps).
Magherafelt born Shiels, started his professional career at Premier League side Arsenal FC playing under Arsene Wenger but unfortunately made no first team appearances before moving on to Scottish League side Hibernian FC.
Dean has been making giant strides as Assistant Manager of Northern Ireland’s Women’s Team where his father, Kenny, is the manager. He was an integral part of guiding the senior women’s side to their first ever Euro Finals play-offs which will be played in April.
Dungannon Swifts FC Chairman, Keith Boyd, is thrilled to appoint Dean Shiels as our new manager as he believes he can make a real impact on the current side.
“I’m delighted that Dean has agreed to become our new manager. He has been getting rave reviews as a coach with the Senior Women’s International team and I’m sure he will bring the experience he has gathered from that into the job. I’m really looking forward to working alongside him and I wish him every success!”
Chairman – Keith Boyd.
Swifts Chairman, Keith Boyd, Pictured with our new Manager, Dean Shiels.
Dungannon Swifts New Manager, Dean Shiels, is relishing the opportunity that has been given to him.
“I’m delighted to join Dungannon Swifts, from the moment I met with the club it felt the right decision for me and I’m grateful to Keith and the board for the opportunity. The club is going through a difficult period on the pitch at this moment and I’m fully aware of the challenge ahead but I’m excited to take it head on. I have a strong belief on how the game should be played and I will guarantee I will give everything to put a team on the pitch to compete and be successful.”
Manager – Dean Shiels
Interim manager, Dixie Robinson, will be in the dugout for our game, against Coleraine this Saturday, and Dean will take over after this fixture.
We would like to officially welcome Dean to Dungannon Swifts Football Club and wish him every success as Manager of our Club.
First Team Manager, Kris Lindsay, has parted company with the Club by mutual consent.
We would like to take the opportunity to publicly thank Kris for the commitment and desire he showed during his time in charge at Stangmore. We can not fault his 100% effort.
“Kris has been a pleasure to work with over the last couple of years. I’m disappointed it hasn’t worked out with him for the long term with Dungannon Swifts. I’ve made a friend in football with Kris and we would welcome him back to Stangmore Park at any time. I wish him well for the future.”
Chairman, Keith Boyd.
Kris, we wish you and your family, every success for what the future brings and we hope it’s not too long until you are back in the game!
Head of Youth Development, Dixie Robinson, will take over the reigns from Lindsay on an interim basis, until the end of the season.
Kris Lindsay has moved to get the signature of two centre forwards on deadline day.
Rory Patterson, most notably formerly of FC United of Manchester, Coleraine, Plymouth Argyle, Linfield, Derry City and Crusaders joins the club along with Nathaniel Ferris who comes in on loan from Loughgall.
“I’m delighted to get Nathaniel Ferris and Rory Patterson in before the transfer window shuts tonight. Rory has signed a professional contract while Nathaniel joins us on loan from Loughgall. It’s an area where we have struggled this year. You only have to look at the goals for column in the league table, we’ve only scored 7 goals in 13 games. Both lads are proven goal scorers, albeit at different ends of their career. I think they will both bring something different to us in attacking areas.
As I say delighted to get them done and get working with them both soon. I’d like to pay thanks to Dean Smith and the committee at Loughgall who facilitated the move for Nathaniel and made it nice and smooth to get it over the line. With the amount of games we have coming up now in a short period of time, we will need all our attacking players to contribute and hopefully the two boys can.”
Manager – Kris Lindsay
New Signings Pictured, Rory Patterson & Nathaniel Ferris (L-R).
36 year old Patterson joins the club from Belfast Celtic where unfortunately, due to Covid, he hasn’t got to line out for the Belfast Club. Patterson was most prolific in the Irish League, playing for Coleraine where in a single season he scored 30 goals, earning him a move to Plymouth Argyle.
I am delighted to be signing for a Club where I started playing senior football when I was 15/16, with a lot of great people involved over the years, Joe McAree, Dixie Robinson and Jarlath Faloon for example. I was supposed to sign a couple of times but through one thing or another it didn’t happen. I can’t wait to get started and hopefully hit the ground running with a few goals.
New signing- Rory Patterson
Ferris, 22, left us a couple of seasons ago to join Mid-Ulster neighbours Loughall, where he has remained since and returns to Stangmore Park on a loan deal. He is excited to be re-joining the club.
I am buzzing to be back at Dungannon Swifts, a great Club which is run by some great people. Excited to get started and hopefully I have a lot to offer the Club and the team over the coming months.
New signing – Nathaniel Ferris
Welcome back to Stangmore Park, Rory and Nathaniel. We wish you both every success in a Swifts shirt.
Kris Lindsay has made his third signing of the January transfer window, bringing in former Manchester United goalkeeper Roy Carroll.
Carroll, who most recently played for Linfield in the Danske Bank Premiership is best known for spells at Wigan Athletic (138 apps) and Manchester United (46 apps) which is where he won a Premier League and FA Cup in 2004.
Fermanagh native, Roy, started his footballing career coming through the Youth Development System at Ballinamallard United. From here, he moved on to Hull City as a trainee in 1995 before joining Wigan in 1997.
Carroll also holds the unusual honour of having won a trophy in his only game as a manager when Barnet beat Stevanage 201 in the 2011 Herts Senior Cup final.
On the International front, Carroll has won 45 caps for Northern Ireland making his international debut against Thailand in 1997. He was also part of the the 2016 European Championship squad.
I’m coming back to play in the Irish League and no matter what team you sign for, it’s just great to get back out and play football. A real pull for me to Dungannon is that the Club has two young keepers and I feel it would be good for me to come in and help them as much as I can. I know Connor (Byrne) very well as I’ve been working up at Dungannon Youth, in the NIFL Academy, with him. Hopefully I can help develop him and Sam (Johnston) for the future of the Club.
My proudest footballing moment would be becoming a professional footballer as a 15 years old. Not too many people come out of Fermanagh and become a professional footballer but I got the opportunity, I was in the right place at the right time.
My first experience of the Irish League was open minded, every league I’ve played in, I’ve played in so many different leagues, I’m always open minded. I’ve played in all the English leagues, Greece, Denmark, and I was up in Scotland as well. No matter what league you play in, you have to respect the league. When I first started, it was a tough league, the football was 100 miles an hour, strikers running on top of you all the time. I had to adapt and adapt very quickly as a goalkeeper. I had a few injuries at Linfield, the worst one being rupturing my ACL, but I feel great and I’m looking forward to a new challenge in the next few months.
My coaching school has been closed down and there’s been no football at all for me to play or coach. I was watching football on TV the other day and I said to myself I want to get back playing again. I want to get out at the weekends and enjoy the games and thats what I want to do. I want to try and bring my knowledge to the young players at Dungannon.
As a team I want to try get as many points on the board as possible, it’s not just down to me it’s a team performance. You have to go out and give everything you can for the team, and thats what I’ll be trying to do with the rest of the squad, go out and try to get as many points as we can for the remainder of the season.
New signing – Roy Carroll
Kris Lindsay is delighted to have got the experienced former Northern Ireland International on board at Stangmore Park.
I’m delighted to get Roy in on a short term deal. Obviously he comes with mountains of experience and I know he’ll be very good in our dressing room. We have a lot of young players, his experience will be invaluable for us and I’m thoroughly delighted to be able to get working with him.
Manager – Kris Lindsay
Welcome to Stangmore Park, Roy, we wish you every success as a Dungannon Swifts player.
Dungannon Swifts FC is delighted to announce that teenage Central Midfielder, Darren Robinson, has put pen to paper on a three year deal.
Sixteen year old Robinson, arrived at Dungannon aged fourteen and has worked his way up through our Academy at The Club.
I’m very happy to sign my first professional contract and I can’t thank Dungannon Swifts enough for how they have treated me over the last two seasons.
It’s been a great opportunity getting to train with the first team recently and I’m looking forward to pushing on.
I’ve learnt a lot from some of the more experienced guys in the squad and it’s great to see how they train compared to the younger groups, it’s so much more intense which is brilliant.
My goal first and foremost is to break into the first team and make my first team debut but until then I’m just going to focus on pushing on in training and developing further as a player.
Darren Robinson
Darren Robinson signing his first professional contract along with L-R, Dungannon Swifts Head of Youth Development, Dixie Robinson, Chairman, Keith Boyd, and Manager, Kris Lindsay
Manager Kris Lindsay is delighted to have got the youngster signed up on a professional deal.
Robbo has been up training with us the last month or so and he hasn’t looked out of place at all. He’s strong, he’s athletic, he’s good on the ball and has a big future ahead of him if he keeps learning and developing the way he has so far.
This is the start of his journey and hopefully he continues because I don’t see any reason why he can’t go across the water, first and foremost if he keeps continuing the way he is. I’m delighted to get him to put pen to paper, have him signed up and joined as part of the squad.
Kris Lindsay – Manager
Congratulations Darren. We wish you a very successful career at Dungannon Swifts FC!
