McCrudden and Patterson added
Michael McCrudden and Aaron Patterson are the latest signings to be added to Whitey Anderson's Premier League squad for the 2015/16 season.
Anderson this week confirmed the signature of 23 year-old McCrudden who has decided to follow former Institute teammate Robbie Hume to Ballinamallard.
Our fans will remember Michael for scoring a cracking goal from distance to beat us at Ferney Park in October. Whilst he missed much of the season through injury, his only other Premiership goal was the late equaliser against us at Drumahoe in February.
Michael is a former Newcastle United trainee and Northern Ireland schoolboy international. He won the Intermediate Cup with Institute in 2013 and scored 16 goals during Institute’s 2013/14 Championship 1 title-winning campaign. He won the Northern Ireland Football Writers’ Championship Player of the Year that season too and he now joins colleagues from that side Robbie Hume and our Player of the Year last season Colm McLaughlin.
Whitey commented, “I am delighted to obtain the signature of Michael. He is another exciting young talent who had a frustrating time with injury last season but who showed enough of the potential to reproduce the quality which made him Championship Player of the Year just over a year ago. I met Michael at the club last week. He was very impressed with the set up and showed great enthusiasm to come here. He made his decision over the weekend and I know that the supporters are going to enjoy watching him perform at Ferney Park. He is technically gifted, is both a play maker and goal scorer and simply wants to advance his career. Michael comes across as a very level headed young man and without doubt he will fit in at Ferney Park with ease next season.”
20 year-old Aaron Patterson most recently played for Loughgall in Championship 1 and is an exciting young talent from Strabane. Aaron played youth football at Linfield and Dungannon Swifts and was a Northern Ireland schoolboy international and Tyrone Milk Cup player.
Aaron joined Loughgall only in January but, in no more than a dozen league games over the second half of the season, he finished as the club's joint top scorer in the league with 6 goals scoring against Ards, Welders twice, Dergview & Larne twice. He also played against Institute in the Irish Cup and Portadown in the Mid Ulster Cup.
Whitey feels that Aaron's move to Ferney Park will benefit both parties, "Aaron is an exciting young striker who has played in various Northern Ireland schoolboy squads in recent years and made an immediate impact in the Championship. He is technically good, strong with pace and has an eye for goal. I want to bring young, hungry players to the club who are keen to improve and I am sure we can help Aaron develop as a player."
McCrudden and Patterson are the third and fourth signings, after that of Robbie Hume and Shane McCabe.