Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
TEENAGE RAMPAGE
Top clubs sweet on City’s 19-year-olds Mcgovern and Teelan as boss lays down promotion challenge
NEWRY CITY manager Darren Mullen says it’s up to his experienced players to ultimately help earn them promotion if they are to hold on to their talented teenage pair John Mcgovern and James Tellan.
The two 19-year-olds, who share the same birthday, have played a pivital role thus far in City’s impressive run – Tellan’s winning goal against the Welders on Saturday returning them to the top of the table.
The local Newry lads have now weighed in with eight goals between them, and while Mcgovern (inset) has managed just three to date, his all round play has not only brought interest from top
Dankse Premiership clubs, but also recognitation a international level, a move that Mullen believes is fully deserved. “We are very proud of James up here at Newry, he’s a special talent and his continued involvement with the Northern Ireland U21 squad for the Euro 2021 qualifiers against Lithuania and Malta is vindication of our youth policy at the club and of the standard in the Championship,” said Mullen. “We also introduced 17-year-old Brendan Healy off the bench on Saturday and he’s another lad we have high hopes for. “However, I’m a realist and am aware that as a club we need to be back playing top flight football if we want to keep young players who have the ability to play at that level. “That said, even Premiership status may not be surfice to hold on to some lads and if that was the case and we had interest from across the water we certainly wouldn’t stand in the way ofthefootball progression of any player.