Irish League Football

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Midfielder Stephen Fallon has ed Coleraine after leaving Irish Premiership champions Linfield upon the expiration of his contract.

The 28-year-old won six league titles, two Irish Cups, three League Cups and a County Antrim Shield during his nine years with the Blues after arriving from Swansea City.

He has been a bit-part player in recent seasons due to a number of injury problems.

Fallon becomes the Bannsiders' third summer addition after the arrival of Kodi Lyons-Foster from Glentoran and Joel Cooper from the Blues.

"He's had a difficult few years with injury but having spoken to the medical staff here, they have been isolated injuries and we feel we can get on top of that and get him right," Coleraine boss Ruaidhri Higgins told the club's website.

"Once we get him right then we have a hell of a player on our hands. He's a talented midfield player and one of the best in the country.

"He knows how to win, he has been a really key player in some of Linfield's title wins and he brings that respect straight away when he walks into the changing room."

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Jimmy Callacher has ed Carrick Rangers after his departure from fellow Irish Premiership side Crusaders.

The 33-year-old left the Crues upon the expiration of his contract after two years with the club.

Callacher made 43 appearances for the north Belfast side, scoring once.

He suffered a serious knee injury four games into the 2023-24 season which saw him miss the remainder of that campaign.

The centre-half started his career at Glentoran before enjoying a successful nine-year spell at Linfield, where he won five Irish Premiership titles and two Irish Cups.

The 2019 Ulster Footballer of the Year follows Billy Joe Burns and Adam Lecky in reuniting with former Crues boss Stephen Baxter at Carrick.

The Gers have signed five players so far this window and boss Baxter said that Callacher is "an outstanding player and leader".

"A no nonsense defender but also very comfortable on the ball, Jimmy will add power, strength and big game experience as we move forward," Baxter told the club's website.

"Jimmy had several options open to him but chose Carrick Rangers as his new home."

Crusaders, meanwhile, have signed former Glentoran midfielder Finley Thorndike on a two-year deal and Northern Ireland under-19 left back Brandon Hamilton.

Thorndike, a 23-year-old English midfielder, played 29 times for the Glens last season, helping the club win the County Antrim Shield during his sole season with the east Belfast side.

Hamilton started his youth career with Glentoran before moving to Aberdeen.

He has been training with the Crues since January after being released by the Scottish side.

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Midfielder Philip Lowry has left Irish Premiership club Crusaders to Championship side Limavady United.

After stints at Linfield and League of Ireland side Derry City, the 35-year-old moved to Crusaders in 2016 and was a key player under Stephen Baxter and Declan Caddell.

Lowry's time at Seaview has now come to a close, and he will now his brother, Stephen, at the Limavady Showgrounds.

In his time with Linfield and Crusaders, Lowry won four league titles and six Irish Cups, as well as three County Antrim Shields.

"To bring someone of that quality to our club is a massive coup," said Limavady manager Paul Owens.

"I feel Philip is still one of the top midfielders in the country.

"It's clear he is still as hungry as ever for success and we can't wait to welcome him to the group."

Lowry helped Crusaders to a fifth-place finish in the Irish Premiership, while Limavady came fourth in the Championship.

Meanwhile, Crusaders have signed 22-year-old former Glentoran midfielder Finley Thorndike on a two-year deal.

Thorndike, who was previously on the books of West Brom, Birmingham City and Aston Villa as an academy player, moved to the Irish Premiership last season with the Glens and scored a winner in extra-time in the Irish Cup sixth round against Linfield.

Jonathan Bradley
BBC Sport NI Senior Journalist

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Dundee want to speak to Linfield boss David Healy about their managerial vacancy at Dens Park.

Last month the Dark Blues sacked Tony Docherty one day after securing their Scottish Premiership status for next season in the final game of the campaign.

Healy, who is the Northern Ireland men's team's record goalscorer, has been in charge of Linfield since 2015 with a club spokesperson confirming to BBC Sport NI that the of the 45-year-old's contract allow him to discuss the move.

This season's Irish Premiership title was Healy's sixth at the Windsor Park helm with the Blues finishing 22 points ahead of Larne.

He has also won two Irish Cups, three BetMcLean Cups and one County Antrim Shield during his time in charge of the Blues.

In August, the former Manchester United and Rangers striker turned down the opportunity to take over at Scottish Championship side Raith Rovers and said he was "content" at Linfield.

Former Celtic midfielder Shaun Maloney, as well as former Dundee players Charlie Adam and Temuri Ketsbaia, have also been linked to the role.

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Former Linfield defender Matthew Clarke has returned to the Irish Premiership with Ballymena United.

The 31-year-old s the Sky Blues after a year with Scottish Championship side Livingston.

During his time with Livi, he helped the club return to the top-flight and won the Challenge Cup.

Clarke won five Gibson Cups, two Irish Cups, three League Cups and two County Antrim Shields during his 11 years with Linfield.

He becomes Ballymena's second g after striker Ryan McNickle, and boss Jim Ervin says the arrival of Clarke "is a big coup".

"When a player of his calibre comes up, you'd be stupid not to be interested and after a few conversations, thankfully he thought here was the place for him," he told the club's website.

"The experience he brings with him is huge from our point of view. Matthew can play a variety of positions, so it's huge for us with what we're looking to do."

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League of Ireland Premier Division leaders Shamrock Rovers have completed the g of forward John McGovern from Irish Premiership side Dungannon Swifts.

The 22-year-old striker s Rovers for an undisclosed fee.

McGovern was a key figure in Dungannon's successful 2024-25 season, which saw them finish fourth in the league and win the Irish Cup by beating Cliftonville 4-3 on penalties after the game ended 1-1 after extra-time, thereby securing European football for the Stangmore Park outfit.

The former Northern Ireland Under-21 international and Newry City frontman scored the opening goal in the showpiece decider and contributed 14 league goals in 29 appearances for Rodney McAree's team.

"After many weeks of negotiations, the club agreed a transfer fee with Dungannon Swifts which will remain undisclosed," read a statement from the Dublin club on Tuesday.

"This transfer is subject to International and Domestic clearance which, when approved, would allow John to be available for selection from July 1st, 2025.

"John has attracted much interest in recent months but has been fully committed in his desire to play for Shamrock Rovers."

Speaking on the Shamrock Rovers club website, external, manager Stephen Bradley explained that he had McGovern in his sights for "over a year".

"We were up quite a lot to watch John. We tried quite a bit over the last year to get him, but it wasn't possible.

"John was at university and Dungannon weren't ready to sell at that moment in time. So, it was a case of continuing to monitor John and thankfully we've got him in now.

"We could have moved in on other players in the previous window, but we wanted to wait on John as he was someone we'd monitored for quite some time. He fits the group, has a good age profile and we really like what he's about. So we waited and now we got it done."

McGovern told the club's website that it was "a no-brainer" to make the move.

"I'm absolutely delighted. It's a massive club, the biggest in the country. You look at the success Shamrock Rovers have had in recent years and throughout the club's history.

"I want to win trophies, I want to win medals, and continue the legacy of the club."

Rovers are six points clear of nearest challengers Drogheda United at the top of the Premier Division table.

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Larne have reinstalled Nathan Rooney as manager following the Englishman's enrolment on his Uefa Pro Licence course.

In December, just three weeks on from succeeding Tiernan Lynch in the Inver Park dugout, Rooney moved into the club's head of football role after it emerged he was unable to lead Larne in their Uefa Conference League campaign as he did not hold the required licence.

With Rooney having been accepted on to his Pro Licence course in March, he returns to his original position.

Gary Haveron, who took over head coaching duties for the remainder of the 2024-25 season, returns to his role as Rooney's assistant.

"It has been a period of change for us all, including our amazing fanbase, who has continued to bring the noise and energy to every matchday since my arrival," said Rooney.

"I appreciate all of you and it's our job as a group to continue working hard to achieve new goals whilst working smartly through both the smooth and difficult times.

"I want to express my thanks to Gary Haveron who has been a great professional to work alongside and his work ethic to keep pushing the team has been second to none – I thank him for his throughout this period."

Rooney, who was brought in from Gibraltar side Bruno's Magpies, added: "Gary will continue to play a major role as an experienced professional who is highly thought of in the local area and the Irish Premiership.

"Our job now is to hit the ground running in pre-season, develop our younger players, implement a playing style which can be exciting to watch and provide an energy which brings us all together on and off the pitch and we will see where it takes us."

Larne chairman Gareth Clements said the past few months have "allowed Nathan to do a lot of the groundwork across the whole club and we're now looking forward to having him lead all aspects of our senior men's team".

"We are very excited to see how Nathan will shape the playing squad as pre-season preparations get underway in the coming weeks," added Clements.

"On behalf of everyone at the club, I want to express our sincere gratitude to Gary Haveron for how he stepped up to lead first team affairs since the middle of December.

"Clinching automatic European qualification at the end of a 60-game season, with all the demands placed on the team this season domestically and in Europe, was a huge achievement."

Larne finished second in the Irish Premiership, 22 points behind champions Linfield, and were knocked out of the Irish Cup fifth round by Limavady United.

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Crusaders and Derry City picked up away wins in the Women's Premiership with victories over Lisburn Ladies and Larne.

Alison McMaster and Beth Chalmers scored as the Crues sealed a 2-0 win to move level on points with league leaders Glentoran.

After a goalless first half, substitute McMaster scored moments after coming on to break the deadlock on 57 minutes.

Jonny Tuffey's side doubled their lead through Chalmers nine minutes later to secure all three points.

Derry City had a more emphatic victory as they beat Larne 4-0 at Inver Park for their first win of the season.

Cache Crumlin-Hawes opened the scoring after just seven minutes before Rachel McIntyre added a second on 30 minutes.

Caoimhe Walsh and Tara O'Connor-Farren completed the win with second-half goals for the Candstripes.

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2024-25 League position: Champions

Player of the season: Joel Cooper

After a two-year gap, Linfield regained the Gibson Cup. The Blues were comfortable winners in the end, becoming the first team to ever claim the league title before the end-of-season split and finishing 22 points clear of their nearest challengers.

Having had to fend off interest from Scotland in their manager David Healy before enduring endless speculation about star forward Joel Cooper in January, the title charge was not without its stresses, but that never showed on the pitch where they were by far the league's most consistent side.

The Blues will be aware that their 85 points was the same tally they amassed in 2023-24 when finishing runners-up to Larne and will be braced for a stronger set of challengers next season.

The loss of Cooper is a serious blow, but in January gs Kieran Offord and Callumn Morrison, they have already recruited some firepower with a view to filling the void.

2025-26 gs so far:

2025-26 departures so far: Joel Cooper, Stephen Fallon (both Coleraine)

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2024-25 league position: 8th

Player of the year: Aaron McCarey

Having won the 2023-24 Championship title to secure age back to the top flight, Portadown did well to stay comfortably clear of the race to avoid the drop.

Under experienced boss Niall Currie, the Ports secured some impressive results, including a last-gasp draw with Linfield in August, two home wins over Larne in October and February and victories on the road against Crusaders and Glentoran.

In the end, the Shamrock Park outfit weren't quite able to secure a top-six finish despite finishing the season with a hat-trick of wins over Loughgall, Cliftonville and Ballymena United.

The club will hope for a better showing in next season's cup competitions, however, after falling at the first hurdle in the BetMcLean Cup and Irish Cup.

2025-26 gs so far:

2025-26 departures so far: Divin Isamala (Bohemians, end of loan), Ross Redman (retired), Jordan Williamson (unattached), Dougie Wilson (Loughgall)

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2024-25 league position: 2nd

Mixing domestic commitments with a maiden voyage in European football was always going to be challenging for Larne.

And so it proved as the Invermen were deposed as Irish Premiership by Linfield - finishing 22 points behind the Blues - after finishing 34th in the 36-team Uefa Conference League.

They did, however, finish their European campaign on a high with a 1-0 victory over Gent.

It was a tumultuous season in the dugout, too. Manager Tiernan Lynch left to Derry City, and while Nathan Rooney was chosen as his successor, the Englishman was unable to lead the team in Europe because he did not have the required licence.

Gary Haveron was eventually appointed head coach while Rooney became head of football in a coaching reshuffle.

Unable to keep pace with Linfield in the league, Larne were knocked out of the Irish and BetMcLean Cups by Limavady and Cliftonville, while they missed out on a fifth successive County Antrim Shield with a shootout defeat by Glentoran in the final.

Chief executive Niall Curneen left the club in March before a brawl in their final game against Glentoran meant the season ended on an unsavoury note.

2025-26 gs so far:

2025-26 departures so far:

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2024-25 league position: 12th

Player of the year: Nathan Gartside

Loughgall defied the odds in their first season in the Irish Premiership as they comfortably avoided relegation and finished ninth.

Second season syndrome seemed to hit this year however and just five wins from their 38 games and the worst goal difference in the division of - 49, condemned them to relegation to the second tier.

Dean Smith, the manager who had performed wonders to get Loughgall in the top- flight and keep them there, left in March not long after he was hit with a 15-game ban for breaches of the Irish Football Association's disciplinary code following the Villagers' 2-1 defeat to Glentoran in January.

He was replaced by former Dungannon Swifts boss Darren Murphy, who managed a win and a draw during the last five league games of the season.

Murphy's intentions will now turn to assembling a squad capable of coming straight back up again next season and he has already added experienced defender Dougie Wilson.

2025-26 gs so far: Dougie Wilson (Portadown)

2025-26 departures so far: Benji Magee (Larne, end of loan), Alberto Balde (unattached), Jamie Rea (unattached)

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2024-25 League position: 3rd

Player of the season: Daniel Gyollai

January's County Antrim Shield success yielded the Glens' first piece of silverware in five years but, in a season that promised so much more, ultimately that proved the undisputed highlight.

At the time of their penalty shootout Shield win over Larne, Declan Devine's men were already into the decider of the BetMcLean Cup and semi-finals of the Irish Cup.

They would lose both, to Cliftonville and Bangor respectively, and slip from second to third in the season's final weeks, ultimately missing out on European football for a second season in succession thanks to a play-off semi-final defeat.

Four wins over champions Linfield showed what they are capable of on their day, but they will need to find greater consistency and attacking threat next season.

Already, however, they know that they will lose some key players over the summer.

2025-26 gs so far: Liam Burt (unattached), Jordan Stewart (Crusaders)

2025-26 departures so far: Fuad Sule (unattached), Kodi Lyons-Foster (Coleraine), Finley Thorndike (Crusaders), Wassim Aouachria (unattached), Jay Donnelly (unattached), Niall McGinn (unattached)

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2024-25 league position: 10th

Player of the year: Barney McKeown

The appointment of Paddy McLaughlin in November helped to steady the ship at Glenavon after a disappointing start to the season had them languishing close to relegation.

Under Stephen McDonnell, the Lurgan Blues went seven games without a win in all competitions and slipped to 11th in the table, four points off safety before he was relieved of his duties.

Whilst McLaughlin could only help them to finish one place higher, they were 14 points better off than Carrick Rangers below them.

The aim will be to build upon a solid foundation in which the Lurgan Blues became harder to beat and start challenging for seventh again.

Glenavon have already been busy in the transfer market, bringing in the experienced Kris Lowe from Cliftonville and youngsters Jordan McMullan and Oran O'Kane.

2025-26 gs so far: Kris Lowe (Cliftonville), Jordan McMullan (Ballymena United), Oran O'Kane (H&W Welders), Luke Cartwright (Loughgall), Patrick Burns (Coleraine)

2025-26 departures so far: Mark Haughey (unattached), Harry Murphy (Glentoran, end of loan), Harry Norton (Loughgall), Aaron Prendergast (Loughgall, loan), Rhys Marshall (retired)

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2024-25 League position: 4th

Player of the season: Gael Bigirimana

2024-25 Review: The campaign will surely go down as the best ever witnessed at Stangmore Park.

The club had finished fourth in the top-flight twice previously in the 1990s, both under the stewardship of current manager Rodney McAree's father Joe, but their Irish Cup triumph over Cliftonville was a first for the club.

The memorable scenes at Windsor Park on the first Saturday of May have brought deserved praise upon the club who have delivered major silverware, broken into the top six, and will play in European football all on a budget that ensures they need to promote youth and rely on astute gs.

Gael Bigirimana and Leo Alves are just two examples of the latter, while 22-year-old full-back Adam Glenny was voted onto the team of the season this year having come through the youth ranks.

They will miss the firepower of John McGovern next season, who is expected to move on after a strong campaign in front of goal, but the Swifts will back themselves to find another bargain as a replacement.

2025-26 gs so far: Mal Smith (Crusaders), Peter Maguire (Ballinamallard)

2025-26 departures so far: Dean Curry (retired)

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2024-25 league position: 6th

Player of the year: Lewis Barr

The 2024-25 season was always going to feel a little strange for Crusaders with the familiar figure of long-serving manager Stephen Baxter no longer patrolling the touchline.

With Baxter succeeded by club legend Declan Caddell, a period of transition ensued as the team ended the league season with 16 wins, 16 defeats and six draws.

They were knocked out of the Irish Cup quarter-finals by neighbours Cliftonville after falling to Glentoran after extra-time in the BetMcLean Cup semi-finals.

On-loan Kieran Offord's eye-catching displays were a plus during the first half of the campaign before he ed Linfield from St Mirren in January.

The Crues' European hopes were also dashed with defeat by Coleraine in the play-offs.

With the club looking to kick on in 2025-26, transfer business has already commenced. Kurtis Forsythe has ed from Carrick Rangers and Scottish winger Kieran McKechnie has also been added to the squad.

Club captain Billy Joe Burns will leave this summer, ending a trophy-laden 11-year stint at the club, with Adam Lecky and Jimmy Callacher also moving on and Jordan Stewart returning to Glentoran.

2025-26 gs so far: Kurtis Forsythe (Carrick), Kieran McKechnie (Arbroath), Finley Thorndike (Glentoran), Brandon Hamilton (Aberdeen)

2025-26 departures so far: Jordan Stewart (Glentoran), Billy Joe Burns, Jimmy Callacher, Adam Lecky (all Carrick Rangers), Billy Vance (unattached), Ryan Kerr (unattached), Mal Smith (Dungannon Swifts)

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2024-25 League position: 5th

Player of the season: Matthew Shevlin

2024-25 Review: The Bannsiders' first season as a full-time outfit was always going to be one of adjustment, although few could have predicted the campaign would feature quite so much upheaval on the Ballycastle Road.

The change in status brought about a change of playing staff, and there were inconsistent performances in the early stages of the year, although Matthew Shevlin remained a reliable source of goals.

Six games unbeaten before the split saw them secure a top-six spot, but that was not enough to keep manager Dean Shiels in his job.

By the time of the play-offs, former Derry City boss Ruaidhri Higgins was in place to preside over a final defeat by Cliftonville that cost his new side European football next year.

The expected arrival of Joel Cooper from Linfield has already seen Henry Ross, the executive chairman and majority shareholder at the club, make a huge transfer splash, while the g of Kodi Lyons-Foster from Glentoran should significantly bolster their defence.

Who else they recruit before the 2025-26 season will surely be one of the stories of the Irish Premiership summer.

2025-26 gs so far: Kodi Lyons-Foster (Glentoran), Joel Cooper (Glentoran), Stephen Fallon (Linfield)

2025-26 departures so far: Kyle Spence (unattached), Paddy Burns (Glenavon), Kyle McClelland (end of loan)

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2024-25 league position: 7th

Player of the season: Joe Gormley

After the 2023-24 season culminated with the euphoria of ending a 45-year wait for the Irish Cup, Cliftonville hoped to mount a challenge for the league title.

Inconsistency prevented that from happening, though, as they finished the regular season in seventh.

The Reds secured the second trophy of the Jim Magilton era by beating Glentoran in the BetMcLean Cup decider and dedicated the win to defender Michael Newberry, who died in December.

In May, a penalty shootout Irish Cup final to Dungannon Swifts was a bitter pill to swallow, but after being thrust straight back into action, the north Belfast side secured a spot in Uefa Conference League qualifying with victories over Glentoran and Coleraine in the play-offs.

It was a significant season off the pitch, too, as club voted to accept a takeover proposal from the Toronto Investment Group at an extraordinary general meeting in April.

What that brings remains to be seen, but Cliftonville fans will certainly hope 2025-26 produces more silverware and improved league form.

2025-26 gs so far:

2025-26 departures so far: Ruaidhri Donnelly (unattached), Destiny Ojo (unattached), Kris Lowe (Glenavon)

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2024-25 league position: 11th

Player of the year: Danny Gibson

It was a difficult season for Carrick Rangers, who won the promotion/relegation play-off against Annagh United to retain their top flight status and end a tumultuous campaign on a high.

Their performances in both legs of those games, a 5-2 triumph away and a 3-1 home win were probably their best of the season and demonstrate the quality within the squad.

The Gers won just seven of their 38 league games, with Stephen Baxter succeeding Stuart King in October after Carrick had a run of nine defeats in 11 games in all competitions to start the season.

Danny Gibson was Carrick's standout player, ing 15 goals in all competitions and Baxter will hope to build around the striker as they look to once again avoid the drop next year.

2025-26 gs so far: Aidan Steele (Ards), Billy Joe Burns, Adam Lecky, Jimmy Callacher (all Crusaders)

2025-26 departures so far: Kurtis Forsythe (Crusaders), Curtis Allen (retired), David Cushley (retired)

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2024-25 league position: 9th

Player of the year: Sean O'Neill

It was a solid but inconsistent season for Ballymena United under Jim Ervin after such a positive start to the campaign.

In stark contrast to last season, when Ervin's side beat Institute in the promotion/relegation play off to stay in the top flight, the Sky Blues briefly topped the table in October after an eight-game winning run in the league.

They beat Larne, Glentoran and Cliftonville in that run, with summer g Ben Kennedy netting 11 goals in their first 12 games, but injuries and suspension halted his and ultimately Ballymena's progress.

Only six more victories in the following 26 league matches saw them slump down the table, although they comfortably avoided relegation.

Ballymena exited the BetMcLean League Cup at the quarter-final stage and were beaten in the fifth round of the Irish Cup by Championship side Ards.

2025-26 gs so far: Ryan McNickle (Newry City), Matthew Clarke (Livingston)

2025-26 departures so far: Luke Hawe (Southampton), Johnny McMurray (unattached), Sam Johnston (unattached), Caleb Crawford (unattached), Fiontan O'Boyle (unattached), Shane Flynn (unattached), Jordan McMullan (Glenavon), Duncan Idehen (Derry City, end of loan), Conor Barr (Derry City, end of loan), Ethan Devine (Linfield, end of loan)

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Defender Billy Joe Burns and forward Adam Lecky will both Carrick Rangers upon the expiration of their contracts with Crusaders.

Former Crues captain Burns spent 11 years with the Seaview club, making 423 appearances and scoring 33 goals after g in 2014.

He played a key role in helping the club secure three Irish Premiership titles, three Irish Cup victories and two County Antrim Shield triumphs.

Before that, Burns spent eight years at Linfield where he also won three Premiership titles and three Irish Cups.

Thirty-four-year-old striker Lecky arrives at Taylors Avenue after six seasons with the Crues.

He scored 34 goals in 162 appearances for the north Belfast side and previously had spells at Ballymena United, Dergview and Ballinamallard.

Both players will be reunited with former Crues boss Stephen Baxter at Taylors Avenue, something that Burns said attracted him to the club.

"I've worked with Stephen for so long, he knows a lot about me, I know a lot about him, so that was quite simple," he told the club's website.

"I've spoken with players who have been here before and everyone has had nice things to say, so it was quite an easy decision.

"I'm excited for a fresh challenge, something new after a long period at Crusaders, I can't wait to get started."

Lecky added: "I'm looking forward to it being a fresh start and getting going during pre-season. There's a lot of quality in the squad. I don't see why we can't push up to get sixth or seventh spot as well as targeting the cups."

The two players follow another former Crusaders midfielder Aidan Steele, in arriving at Carrick after Steele ed from Ards.

Elsewhere, Ballymena United have announced the g of striker Ryan McNickle on a two-year-deal.

The 25-year-old arrives from Newry City after scoring 20 goals in the Championship as his side suffered relegation.

Full-back Mal Smith will Irish Cup champions Dungannon Swifts upon the expiry of his contract with Crusaders.

The 24-year-old came through Glentoran's academy and had a spell on loan at Ballymena before spending two seasons at the Crues.