Doherty seals Coleraine switch from Cliftonville

Cliftonville midfielder Ronan Doherty has joined Irish Premiership rivals Coleraine for an undisclosed fee.

The 29-year-old becomes Dean Shiels' second January recruit after former Cliftonville defender Paddy Burns signed for the club on Thursday.

The Reds confirmed in a statement that Doherty, who joined the Solitude club in 2019, had already agreed a move to the Bannsiders at the end of the season but leaves this month after the two clubs agreed a fee.

"He's an all-round top midfielder in the league and we are delighted to have him," Shiels told the Coleraine website.

"He fits the profile of what we are trying to build here. Having lost Ciaron Harkin and Mackenzie Carse, we are more than pleased to bring in someone of Ronan's quality and we are looking forward to working with him."

On Thursday, Shiels said Coleraine would not be signing unattached Gavin Whyte having previously expressed interest in the Northern Ireland international.

Cliftonville have also confirmed that on-loan Taylor Steven has been recalled by parent club St Johnstone.

The 20-year-old winger scored four times in 20 appearances for Jim Magilton's side after joining in August last year.