What Florent Ghisolfi told me about Sunderland's January transfer plans
Former Sunderland midfielder Dylan McGeouch has finally found himself a new club
Former Sunderland midfield Dylan McGeouch has sealed a short-term switch to Northern Irish outfit Ballymena United, the club have confirmed.
The 32-year-old has been unattached since leaving Carlisle United earlier this summer, and has spoken openly in recent weeks about his frustrations at his enforced spell as a free agent.
In an interview last month, McGeouch said: “It's frustrating to be without a club, but I can't blame anybody. There's a wee bit of anxiety for me about it because, of course, the longer it goes on you're thinking, 'Is the phone going to go?'. You're considering how you're going to progress your career – is it in media, is it in coaching, or will I still be playing?
“There's a few backup plans, and if the phone doesn't ring, I'll focus on what to do next. But I do feel I've still got a lot to offer on the football side, on and off the pitch; it's just getting that opportunity.”
What has former Sunderland midfielder Dylan McGeouch said about signing for Ballymena United?
And now, after a few months out of the professional game, McGeouch has indeed found his next opportunity, with Ballymena unveiling him as their player after he put pen to paper on a short-term contract.
Speaking during his first interview with his new side, he said: "The opportunity came up to talk to the guys behind the scenes here and I jumped at the chance to be able to come and help this squad and club going forward. Experience is something hopefully I can bring on and off the pitch. I've been at a lot of good clubs and still think I have a lot to give. One of the selling points was that the club have a lot to play for. We're looking to compete and get into that top six, along with the cup competitions and it's exciting times."
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Manager Jim Ervin also offered his view, and explained why Ballymena have made their move in between transfer windows. He said: “It's well documented the injury list we have and it seems to be increasing week by week, so it's great to get another body available to us, but it's more about the experience he brings. He's one we've been looking at for a number of weeks and he's come in as a free agent so is able to play straight away.
"The desire Dylan showed when we started conversations struck me straight away. He could've held fire to see what came up in January, but he was happy with what we discussed with him. He's a quality player and we're looking forward to seeing him on the pitch."
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