Striker Ferris moves to Glentoran from Loughgall

Glentoran have bolstered their attack by signing Nathaniel Ferris from Irish Premiership strugglers Loughgall on a three-and-a-half year deal for an undisclosed fee.

The 26-year-old striker moves to the Oval just three days after scoring against the Glens in a 2-1 defeat at Lakeview Park, his sixth of the season in the top flight this campaign.

The Glens moved for Ferris after missing out on Kieran Offord, who joined rivals Linfield on Sunday.

Loughgall sit nine points adrift at the bottom of the standing while Glentoran moved up to second after their comeback win over the Villagers.

Ferris is Loughgall's all-time leading goalscorer, netting 74 goals in 184 appearances, having also previously played for Dungannon Swifts, Annagh United and Portadown.

He played a major part in Loughgall's Championship-winning campaign in 2022-23, then found the net 15 times in the Irish League's top division in 2023-24.

Ferris becomes Glens manager Declan Devine's fifth signing of the January transfer window, joining Shane McEleney, Ciaran Coll, Christie Pattison and Joe Thomson.

"I'm absolutely delighted to join Glentoran. It's a massive club, and when a team of this size comes calling, it's hard to say no," said Ferris.

"Loughgall has been fantastic to me throughout my career and I've thoroughly enjoyed my time there, but I'm an ambitious player and I felt this was the perfect moment to take the next step and join one of the top sides in the Premiership."

Devine commented: "Nathaniel is a player who has impressed us for some time and we've been tracking his progress closely, so we're thrilled to welcome him to the Oval.

"He brings a new dimension to our forward line and perfectly complements the talent we already have in the squad."