Aberdeen today completed the signing of Irish teenager Dean Jarvis.
The 16 year old has joined the Dons from Ballymoor FC in Derry, Northern Ireland. Dean is a left back who can also play centre half and has already represented Northern Ireland at U16 and U17 level.
Neil Simpson has been impressed with the player. "Dean has a very good attitude and a real determination to succeed which is important. He is left sided and is a player who likes to get forward. He seems to have settled in quickly and we are all hoping he does well."
The player was spotted by Head of Scouting Colin Grant. "I was over at the Foyle Cup last year and was very impressed when I saw him play. His team Derry and District actually won the tournament and Dean played no small part in their success. Although he was at left back he was bombing forward at every opportunity."
Dean is the second player at the club from Northern Ireland. Midfielder Sammy Stewart was signed from Glenavon last summer while Anthony Bolger from the Republic of Ireland joined the U19 squad earlier in the season.
Colin added, "Northern and Southern Ireland are areas we will continue to look at very closely. It is a good breeding ground. You only need to look at the number of players heading across the Irish Sea every year to clubs in the Premiership and Championship in England to see how much talent is over there and we have two or three more players in the pipeline.
Head of Youth Development Lenny Taylor recognises the good work Colin is doing in Ireland. "We are very pleased with the job Colin has done over there. He has built up some very good contacts with teams and associations in both the south and the north. Colin will again go over and watch the Foyle Cup in July which is the premier tournament in Northern Ireland and in August we will have a team competing at the Galway Cup which is the main tournament in the Republic of Ireland.
Dean started full time with the club yesterday as part of the U19 squad and everyone at Pittodrie wishes him well in his career with the Dons.
Aberdeen today completed the signing of Irish teenager Dean Jarvis.
The 16 year old has joined the Dons from Ballymoor FC in Derry, Northern Ireland. Dean is a left back who can also play centre half and has already represented Northern Ireland at U16 and U17 level.
Neil Simpson has been impressed with the player. "Dean has a very good attitude and a real determination to succeed which is important. He is left sided and is a player who likes to get forward. He seems to have settled in quickly and we are all hoping he does well."
The player was spotted by Head of Scouting Colin Grant. "I was over at the Foyle Cup last year and was very impressed when I saw him play. His team Derry and District actually won the tournament and Dean played no small part in their success. Although he was at left back he was bombing forward at every opportunity."
Dean is the second player at the club from Northern Ireland. Midfielder Sammy Stewart was signed from Glenavon last summer while Anthony Bolger from the Republic of Ireland joined the U19 squad earlier in the season.
Colin added, "Northern and Southern Ireland are areas we will continue to look at very closely. It is a good breeding ground. You only need to look at the number of players heading across the Irish Sea every year to clubs in the Premiership and Championship in England to see how much talent is over there and we have two or three more players in the pipeline.
Head of Youth Development Lenny Taylor recognises the good work Colin is doing in Ireland. "We are very pleased with the job Colin has done over there. He has built up some very good contacts with teams and associations in both the south and the north. Colin will again go over and watch the Foyle Cup in July which is the premier tournament in Northern Ireland and in August we will have a team competing at the Galway Cup which is the main tournament in the Republic of Ireland.
Dean started full time with the club yesterday as part of the U19 squad and everyone at Pittodrie wishes him well in his career with the Dons.