Glentoran midfielder Josh Kelly is determined to make the most of every opportunity as the Glens prepare for their first home game of the 2025/26 Sports Direct Premiership season against Bangor on Saturday (Kick-off: 3.00pm).

The 26-year-old made his first competitive start in almost 12 months in last weekend’s 1–0 victory away to Portadown, marking the end of a gruelling year-long battle with injury. Kelly missed the majority of last season after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament in August 2024, an injury that required surgery and an intensive rehabilitation programme.

The former Ballymena United captain joined the Glens in June 2023 and made 28 appearances in his debut campaign before starting all three of Glentoran’s opening fixtures in 2024/25. His season was then cut short in cruel fashion when injury struck in August.

In June this year, he committed his future to the club by signing a new contract until the end of the 2025/26 season. Over the summer, he worked tirelessly to ensure he returned for pre-season in peak condition, even cutting short his summer break to begin his training programme early.

That dedication was rewarded last Saturday when manager Declan Devine named him in the starting XI for the season opener at Shamrock Park, where Kelly played a key role in securing three points against a resolute Portadown side.

Josh Kelly said: “It’s been a long and incredibly tough 12 months. When you’ve been out for that length of time, you go through every emotion. There were days in the gym when I wondered if I’d ever pull on the Glentoran shirt again and that’s a hard thing to process when all you want to do is play football and be out on the pitch helping your teammates.

“The only way forward was to keep working, keep pushing and keep believing. I set myself small goals every week during rehab, and ticking those off kept me going. The medical and fitness staff here have been outstanding and my family and teammates gave me the motivation to keep pushing even on the hardest days.

“Starting last Saturday was a huge personal milestone and a real reward for all those months of hard work. To then play my part in helping the team get the win made it even more special. Portadown are a strong, resolute side who will take points off plenty of teams this season, especially at Shamrock Park, so for us to go there and come away with three points was the perfect way to start our season.”

Kelly returns to action in a squad that he believes is as strong and competitive as any he has been part of in his career. Declan Devine has strengthened in key areas over the summer, adding both quality and depth across the pitch.

In midfield, the likes of James Singleton, Joe Thomson, Cameron Palmer, James Douglas and Charlie Lindsay are all pushing for starting spots in the middle of the park, alongside summer arrivals Liam Burt and Jordan Stewart who bring added creativity and flair in central areas.

Kelly said: “For me, the strength of this squad is the depth we have in every position. The lads in the middle of the park are top-class players and every single one of them is capable of starting. That means no one can take their place for granted and it’s driving standards every single day. Training has been top notch and you can see that everyone is pushing each other.

“I know I have to be at my very best in training and in games to earn my place, but that’s exactly how it should be at a club like Glentoran if we’re serious about winning trophies. When you’ve got that level of competition, it brings the best out of everyone because you can’t have a bad game or you will end up out of the team.

“A huge amount of credit has to go to the gaffer and his coaching staff. The sessions they’ve been putting on since pre-season have been outstanding, intense, detailed and focused on getting the best out of us individually and as a team. The preparation, the structure, the standards they set, it all feeds into the mentality we’re taking into games.

“At the same time, we’re a tight-knit group. The togetherness in the squad is brilliant, and the new lads have come in and added something different, both in terms of quality on the pitch and personality off it. They’ve settled quickly and bought into what we’re about as a club.

“The squad is in a brilliant place right now in terms of how we’re working day-to-day and the focus is on showing that in matches. If we keep that standard in training and bring it onto the pitch every weekend, we’ll give ourselves a great chance of having a successful season.”

Saturday’s first home game at the BetMcLean Oval sees the Glens face a Bangor side making their long-awaited return to the topflight. The Seasiders have already made an early statement with an impressive 3–1 win over Cliftonville in their opening fixture of the season.

Kelly says the players have been looking forward to the BetMcLean Oval opener all summer, with the prospect of running out in front of a big home crowd adding extra motivation. He is confident the squad can use the occasion to deliver a big performance that sets the tone for the season ahead.

Josh added: “Bangor have come up and shown straight away that they’re here to compete. Their win over Cliftonville last week was a big result and they’ll also take confidence from beating us in the Irish Cup last season. Lee Feeney will have them fired up, and we know they’ll come here with no fear. They’ll be organised and they’ll look to make it another big occasion for their travelling supporters.

“For us, it’s about imposing our style of play and showing our quality across the pitch. We want to make sure the BetMcLean Oval is a difficult place for any team to come this season and that starts this Saturday with a big performance against Bangor and another three points on the board.

“We’ve been looking forward to this first home game all summer, and there’s nothing better than playing here with the home crowd behind us. The supporters were incredible all last season, home and away, and we want to give them a team and performances they can be proud of. We know they’ll turn out in their numbers again on Saturday and we are determined to reward that backing with a strong performance and another three points.”