THE father of a former Newington footballer says he is "over the moon" after his son signed for Scottish Premiership side Aberdeen.
Noah McDonnell (16) joined the Dons' development side from Larne for an undisclosed fee this week.
The centre-back began his career at Newington FC in his native North Belfast before playing for Linfield and Larne. He has also represented Northern Ireland at several age groups, including a call-up to the Under-15s in 2022 before joining the Under-16s and becoming part of the Victory Shield-winning squad.
Noah's father Joe had a spell with English League club Millwall before returning to play Irish League football with Newry, Ballymena United and Distillery. In 2017, he won a Steel and Sons Cup with Newington.
Speaking to the North Belfast News, Joe said it took Noah a while to get into football.
"When Noah first started off, he had no interest in football but and it took him six months to sort of get into it at Newington," he explained. "It enabled him to play with his friends and develop at his own level.
"He ended up playing two age levels above and Linfield came calling after watching him play in a friendly.
"He did very well for Linfield, went on to captain them but the team was so dominant, he wasn’t getting tested enough as a defender.
"It was a really difficult decision to move to Larne because he loved Linfield. He ended up only having one season there before he was spotted by a scout from Aberdeen."
Joe is excited for his son's future as he prepares for life in Scotland.
"I feel that Aberdeen is a really good fit for him. Their way of life is similar to ours in many ways," he added.
The best of luck for former academy player Noah McDonnell. Noah spent 7 years at Newington under the guidance of Bogey & Duff a brilliant achievement for a great lad. Goodluck at @AberdeenFC
— Newington FC (@NewingtonFC) July 16, 2024
Up The Ton 💚🖤⚽️ https://t.co/DqoUNuWojE pic.twitter.com/K51zgs6qlE
"I think he has a better opportunity at Aberdeen for first team football so hopefully it all goes well for him. He is a first-year pro now and will be living with two other teammates, training five days a week and playing matches midweek and at the weekend.
"I am very proud of him. It doesn’t seem that long ago that he was the last substitute for Newington and would only play the last five minutes.
"I have had a front row seat in watching him grow and develop ever since. It shows that if you really want something that it is achievable with hard work.
"Everyone is excited about getting over to see him. He has a really good group of friends too who are really supportive. Hopefully a goal and a clean sheet against Rangers is not too far away," he joked.
Speaking about Noah's signing, Aberdeen Youth Academy Director, Stuart Glennie, told the club website: "Noah was a player that was first spotted by our Northern Ireland Lead Scout Gareth Elder and who has subsequently been followed closely with our Head of Youth Academy Recruitment Jim Fraser.
"He is a right sided defender that has played at youth international level for Northern Ireland, where he has also captained his country for a two-year period, most notably recently at the Victory Shield in Wales.
"Noah is one we identified as an emerging talent and he enjoyed a successful trial period at Cormack Park where he performed well and demonstrated clear leadership qualities.
"As a Youth Academy we always strive to bring players through our ranks but we have to be aware of potential top talents further afield.
"We thank Larne for their co-operation with the transfer of Noah."