Transfer Confirmed (IN)

Saturday 16th July 2016
Belfast City FC manager Artemis Beartrappe continues to build his squad in this summer transfer window... today its been announced that he as completed the signing of two new players...

Firstly Northern Ireland international defender Luke McCollough has completed a transfer worth three hundred thousand pounds from Doncaster Rovers...

Luke McCollough
McCullough started his career with his local team... Loughgall Youth... before joining Dungannon Swifts where he played in the first team in the IFA Premiership at the age of 15...

He moved to England to play for Manchester United in July 2010... He captained the Academy side throughout the 2011–12 campaign... making 25 appearances... On 25 January 2013... he joined Football League Two side Cheltenham Town on a one-month loan deal... He made his league debut on 16 February 2013... in a 1–1 draw with Aldershot Town... coming on as a substitute for Steve Elliott...

After spending time on trial during pre-season... McCullough signed a two-year deal with Doncaster Rovers on 25 July 2013... He made his debut for Doncaster when he started in Rovers' 3–1 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion in the Championship on 2 November 2013...

McCullough first represented Northern Ireland at under-16 level where he became captain... He was also captain of the under-17s... Although named in the squad twice before... his first appearance for the under-19s was a start in the 8–1 victory away to Moldova on 15 October 2012... Although he didn't score in that game... he was credited with two assists... On the same day he signed a contract with Doncaster Rovers... he also received a call-up to play for the under-21 squad in the Milk Cup... McCullough senior debut came in a friendly loss against Uruguay... McCullough has since become a regular feature of the Northern Irish squad... going to Euro 2016... He did not make an appearance at the tournament...

But the biggest news is that highly rated Liverpool youngster Ben Woodburn has completed a three year contract with Belfast City FC in a deal rumoured to be worth half a million pounds...



Ben Woodburn
Born in Chester, Woodburn was raised in Tattenhall and played both cricket and football from a young age... He joined Liverpool's academy at under-7 level and steadily worked his way through the club's youth ranks... During his schooling... Liverpool agreed to a request from Woodburn's parents that he should stay at home rather than in Rainhill... which was closer to the academy in Kirkby... In order to facilitate his development... the club arranged for a driver to transport Woodburn every day from training back to his home in Tattenhall...

When he was 15 years old... Woodburn was fast tracked from Liverpool's under-16s to the under-18s and his rapid development saw him included in Liverpool's "Futures Group", a programme that affords the club's most talented youngsters an opportunity to train with first-team coach Pep Lijnders once a week..

Woodburn is eligible to represent Wales, through his maternal grandfather... as well as his native England... Woodburn was offered an under-16 call up by England in August 2014 but chose to remain in the Wales setup at that time...