Psddy McCourt (left) with Glenavon manager Gary Hamilton (middle) after singing for the club tonight
IT could be the signing of the Irish football season.
Tonight, Glenavon emerged victorious after getting former Derry city winger Paddy McCourt to sign on the dotted line.
The ex-Celtic ace returned home during the summer after quitting Luton Town following his wife’s discovery of a brain tumour.
Derry City manager Kenny Shiels did his best to lure him back to his hometown club for a third spell.
But Glenavon boss Gary Hamilton got his man from the noses of Linfield who were also in the hunt for McCourt.
McCourt, 32, has signed a one-year deal at Mourneview Park but admits football was not his priority after his wife Laura’s condition was diagnosed.
McCourt said: “I have known Gary Hamilton a long time and when I spoke to him about the club it felt right from the start.
“As many people who, I left Luton Town for personal reasons in May and at that time I didn’t know what my future in football was going to be.
“It was the first time in 15 or 16 years when football wasn’t my priority. My wife Laura had to have an operation and thankfully that was a success. Once that became clear I was keen to get my future sorted.
“Glenavon have been flexible with me and the travelling won’t be too difficult.
“Glenavon have always been a club I’ve been impressed by. Gary has done a terrific job, winning two Irish Cups and hopefully I can help them achieve more success.”
McCourt has been a crowd pleaser everywhere he has played and he’s hoping Glenavon will be no different.
He added: “Hopefully the Glenavon fans will get to see me doing what I enjoy the most; taking on defenders and scoring goals.
“It will take a bit of time to get up and running but I’m looking forward to it.
“It’s my first time playing in the Irish League and I’m really looking forward to it.
“The teams have been getting stronger every season and although Crusaders have won the league for the past two seasons, there are four or five clubs who will think they have a chance of winning it.
When he decided to leave Luton Town following his wife’s diagnosis at the end of the season, McCourt was in no rush to commit to a new club in Ireland – North or South.
Derry, St Pat’s and champions Dundalk were all interested in taking him back to the League of Ireland but he wanted a fresh challenge in a new league.
“Derry is a club I love, and I always will, but there were loads of things to consider,” he said.
“The League of Ireland season will be finishing soon but I will have pretty much a full pre-season with Glenavon before the league starts.”
Tags:
