As promised the management team of Murphy and McAree have been busy recruiting new players to bolster our current batch of players. In addition to the three new players already signed up for the season ahead, the Swifts Management team have wasted no time in snapping up a further two players, former Glentoran and Lisburn Distillery midfielder, Neal Gawley and former Dungannon United Youth Player, Jamie Douglas.
Midfielder Gawley, 26, is a versatile player who can play on either wing or up front, he has great pace and an eye for goal and will be a very welcome addition to the Swifts side. He has joined the Swifts from playoff winning side Lisburn Distillery, where he made over 30 appearances last season as a midfielder. As a player who has copious amounts of Irish league experience to his name, Neal also carries with him the experience of having represented Glentoran and Distillery in the Intertoto Cup, Europa League and the Setanta Cup, over the past five years.
Jamie, at 5’11” is predominantly left-footed but he’s got two terrific feet, he plays off shoulders, like Gawley, he also has a superb eye for goal and is quick. The Northern Ireland Youth International is a frontman who can also play on the left.
The nineteen year old signed for Preston North End from Dungannon United Youth when he turned sixteen years old. One year later in April 2010, after scoring plenty of goals and impressing in the youth setup/reserve team at PNE, Jamie was handed a professional contract with the club. He went on to score his first professional goal for PNE to equalise against Carlisle United in the 92nd minute on Boxing Day, 2011. Jamie was released from PNE in May 2012 and has decided to return to the club he played for in his youth.
Welcome to the Swifts Neal, and welcome back to Dungannon Jamie. We are delighted to have you both on board at Stangmore Park.