Derry footballer Matthew Kirk signs for Coleraine FC on two-year-deal

18-year old Derry footballer Matthew Kirk has signed for Coleraine FC.

The former St Columb's College pupil has put pen to paper on a two-year-deal.

Kirk, who is from the Campsie area is a current Northern Ireland schoolboy international.

Coleraine manager Oran Kearney said: “We have monitoring Matthew’s progress since September last year.

“We threw him at the deep end last weekend against Bangor City to see how he would react and I thought he done fantastically well.

“He performed well for Northern Ireland’s under 18 squad in the Centenary Shield and has been called-up to the under 19 squad.

“He plays a similar style of football to Ciaron Harkin and Brad Lyons and covers a lot of ground as well.

“He is a couple of years younger than those two but has similar qualities and can develop even further.

“It is great to know that if Ciaron or Brad is unavailable, then we have a like for like replacement.

“It is important that we just don’t look at the present, but also to the future and we believe that Matthew will be able to play a big role here.”