Kane proving very able for United, says boss Ferguson

The United boss has been fulsome in his praise of 19-year-old midfielder Eoin Kane, who has impressed the club’s fans with a number of assured displays in recent weeks.

“We were really impressed with Eoin Kane in pre-season and he has been in our squad for most of the time since.

“We played him at right-back at Moyola and couldn’t leave him out and he has showed what he is all about.

“He has worried hard over the summer on the physical side of his game and we knew technically he’s a good player but I think he has even surpassed what we thought he could do in the last couple of weeks.”

Kane, along with another United teenager Matthew Ferguson, spent time last season gaining experience at Ballyclare Comrades and Dundela respectively, and Ferguson insists: “Those moves helped those two - going and playing against older, senior players more so than 17 or 18 year olds in the reserves.

“They learned the physical side of the game and they’ve gone and done something about it during the summer and they have come back bigger and stronger and ready to play senior football.

“It would have been very easy to have brought some more experienced players back in against Cliftonville but the boys have done well, they deserve their place in the team and that’s the competition we have,” added Ferguson.