IRISH LEAGUE: Glenavon send out Canning to Ballinamallard on loan deal

Canning, who signed a two-year deal at Mourneview Park last season after joining from Loughgall in January, will move to United until the New Year.

“Aaron hasn’t been able to take part in any of pre-season because he was working in England and now he’s back home his job involves him working in the evenings while it’s light, so that ruled him out of being able to train with us until the end of September,” said Glenavon manager Gary Hamilton on the club’s official website. “It was better that he went out on loan and got matches and at the moment they need a centre-half so he should be able to go straight into their team and get gametime, which we couldn’t have guaranteed him straight away.

“We’ll assess the situation in January and hopefully we’ll be in a good position, ready to kick on and he can come in and be a part of that.”

Canning was the subject of summer transfer interest from Derry City following a string of impressive performance with Glenavon.

Another Glenavon player heading out the exit door is winger Joel Cooper. Cooper is set to depart for America later this month on a soccer scholarship.

Tuesday’s Danske Bank Premiership game with Ballinamallard United offered Cooper an opportunity to pay a final visit to Mourneview Park.

“I’ll be heading off to take up a two-and-a-half year soccer scholarship and study for a degree at the University of New Hampshire,” Cooper told the club website. “It’s an opportunity I can’t really turn down at this stage, it’s a chance I have to take and, hopefully, it goes well for me.

“I hope to get selected for the College team, which is the top division of college soccer in the States and the University has a few affiliated teams from the MLS.

“I’m sad to see it end but it’s a new chapter in my life that I have to take.”