First Team Coach Rodney McAree, Jamie Glackin, Chairman Keith Boyd and First Team Manager Darren Murphy pictured.
Dungannon Swifts Management and Committee have pulled off a wonder move in securing the signature of our highly sought after midfielder Jamie Glackin. Glackin who helped secure Premiership football for the Club last season with his last minute goal against Warrenpoint in April has penned a new two year deal at Stangmore Park.
Linfield, Glentoran, Crusaders and Derry City were some of the Clubs in the battle for the player’s signature, however after some serious thought and consideration Jamie decided remaining at Dungannon Swifts, for what will be his fourth season with the first team set-up, was the best option for him.
Glackin who was voted as a runner up for the Northern Ireland Football Writers Young Player of the Year Award and who won DFSC Young Player of the Year has stated his main priority is to get minutes on the pitch and feels his best chance of obtaining them is with the Swifts.
“I feel at my age it’s about playing with a smile on your face and getting minutes on the pitch, for me it’s about being happy and playing. The club is going in the right direction as you can all see around the place. Coaches are brilliant and top class, there is no place I would rather be to be honest, that’s why I have signed again.”
“I feel for me it’s about development and looking to bigger and better things in the future, even if I have to use it as a stepping stone. The other signings during the transfer window give us a bit of optimism and I’m looking forward to working alongside them as well as last season’s squad. “
We are delighted to keep hold of Jamie at Stangmore Park and our manager Darren Murphy has stated that he hopes the snub of some of the country’s biggest clubs will be a signal of change of direction for the Swifts. Murphy couldn’t be any happier after receiving the player’s signature.
“It’s such a big signing for us, in the last two or three years we always seem to lose our best young players. When you think of the interest we had from Glentoran, Linfield and Derry who all spoke to him, then it speaks volumes of where we have helped get him to and what he’s done himself here. “
“We put no pressure on Jamie to stay with us, obviously he knew we wanted him to stay but he contacted me in his own time and told me he wanted to remain at the club. Financially speaking we are fourth in the pecking order of the clubs that wanted him. He still has developing to do and he recognises that himself. I think the most important thing is that he feels he’s at the right place to develop and that’s a huge boost for us. Sometimes you can go elsewhere and you can earn more money, but that doesn’t mean a lot if you’re not playing and not enjoying it.”
“Keith Boyd, (Chairman) Joe McAree and the rest of the Committee always do their best by our players and I have to thank them too. Like them I have to thank my assistant manager Rodney McAree. Rodney was a central midfielder himself, he played across the water and he’s taken time to talk to Jamie and help him learn the game. Jamie relates to him and I’ve obviously given him the platform to play so he’s happy at the club.”
“Since January we have been able to keep Ryan Harpur, when there was interest from Crusaders, David Armstrong and Andy Coleman. It’s been a great year for us in that respect and going into the new season with your best players on board is a big thing. Maybe in years gone by we just accepted we’d lose our best players and maybe we don’t sell the facilities we have for players enough. Players are taught the game the right way here and they’re also allowed to express themselves. We’ve been in this league for 14 years now and so it’s probably time to stand up for ourselves!”
Congratulations to Jamie on signing for another two years we are all so pleased you have chosen to stay at Stangmore Park. Good luck for the future as a Swifts player from all at Dungnanon Swifts Football Club.
Chairman, Keith Boyd, Jamie Glackin and First Team Manager, Darren Murphy.
