Young at heart

Cliftonville Football Club have always prided ourselves on the development of young players and particular satisfaction was taken in seeing no fewer than seven Academy talents make their senior debuts over the course of the 2025/26 season.

During a campaign in which former Academy stars Shea Kearney and Odhrán Casey moved on to the full-time game, fellow graduates Keevan Hawthorne and Joe Sheridan firmly established themselves in the first-team squad, with the latter claiming the Young Player of the Year accolade at the recent Cliftonville FC Awards.

After Eamonn Tohill (above) was handed his bow in December’s Sports Direct Premiership victory over Glenavon at Solitude, defender Shea McGarry made the first of three appearances when he enjoyed an impressive debut in a League draw with Ballymena United a few weeks later.

Alfie Anderson featured in March’s encounter with Larne at Inver Park, with Paul Stanfield’s debut coming during an April clash with Coleraine ahead of David Green emerging from the bench in the Reds’ victory over Linfield on the final day of a Premiership campaign that saw former Academy favourites Liam McStravick and Aidan Kelly make their senior Cliftonville debuts after returning to the Club.

It’s worth noting, too, that boss Jim Magilton also named Oisin Murray and Owen Mahoney on the bench over the course of the year, while Shay Reid (above) savoured a goalscoring departure when he found the net in a pre-season friendly against Dundela before completing a switch to Preston North End, joining fellow youngsters Coran Madden (Brentford) and Emmett Morrison (Sheffield United) in cross-channel transfers.

Despite such notable talent leaving Solitude, Cliftonville Strollers nevertheless clinched the Academy League Under-18 title in convincing style ahead of our Under-16s being crowned Champions – further underlining the exceptional work that goes on in our highly respected Academy.

And, with European football on the agenda courtesy of the Strollers’ entry into the UEFA Youth League, next season promises to be every bit as engaging for our stars of the future.