Ballymena sign Glynn after Cliftonville spell

Ballymena United have completed the signing of defender Micheal Glynn following the expiration of his contract at Cliftonville. The 24-year-old spent two years with the Reds, scoring four goals in 75 appearances and winning the BetMcLean Cup in 2025. The former Northern Ireland under-21 international has also had spells Dungannon Swifts, Glenavon and Larne, where he won two Irish Premiership titles. "I'm still very young in my career but I've played a lot of games in the league. I've picked up a few medals so far and the project here is one of trying to pick up more and pushing for Europe," he told the club's website. "There's a great squad here with a lot of quality players that I've first hand experience of playing against." Glynn becomes the Sky Blues' second summer signing after they announced the arrival of striker Chris McKee from Linfield on Monday. "The aim for us is to have two good players in every position and whilst Matthew Clarke has seen off a few in his position already, it's my job to provide competition to challenge him and Micheal's job is to do that," Ballymena boss Oran Kearney added. "Like many we'll look to bring in, Micheal isn't green and this isn't his first gig, but he has so much growth ahead of him. He has a lot of games behind him and many successes and it's a good time for him to come in and move us forward." Carrick Rangers have also confirmed forward Jack Hastings' return to the club on a free transfer after he left Larne at the end of his contract. The 19-year-old, who spent last season on loan at Armagh City, previously spent the second half of the 2024/25 season at Taylors Avenue, making eight appearances for the club. "I'm happy to return to Carrick Rangers and looking forward to the challenge ahead. I'm keen to take every opportunity I get and to score some goals and help the team push on," Hastings said.