Glentoran Football Club has announced that Academy graduate Owen O’Neill has joined Lisburn Distillery in the NIFL Premier Intermediate League on loan for the remainder of the 2024/25 season.
The highly rated defender, who has signed his first professional contract with Glentoran, makes the temporary switch to New Grosvenor Stadium to gain valuable first-team experience in a competitive senior environment.
A commanding and composed centre-back, O’Neill made his competitive first-team debut for Glentoran in the 4-0 victory over Crusaders at the end of last season.
He also featured prominently during the first-team squad’s 2024 pre-season campaign and has been a key figure for Glentoran Seconds throughout this season.
The Northern Ireland U18 Schoolboys international also captained his country in a recent friendly against Australia and is expected to play a major role in their Centenary Shield campaign.
Declan Devine, First Team Manager at Glentoran said: “Owen is a highly talented young defender with a bright future ahead of him. This loan spell at Lisburn Distillery is the perfect opportunity for him to gain invaluable first-team experience at senior level. He’s already had a taste of first-team football and impressed throughout pre-season. Now, it’s about taking that next step – playing week in, week out, adapting to the physicality of senior football and continuing to develop his game. We’ll be closely tracking his progress and I have no doubt that he’ll return to Glentoran as a more experienced, well-rounded player.”
Paul Millar, Sporting Director at Glentoran added: “Owen has earned this opportunity and we’re delighted to see him take this next step in his football development. This loan move is about gaining valuable senior experience, playing regular first-team football and returning to Glentoran ready to compete for a place in the first-team squad. We’ll be monitoring his progress closely and we’re excited to see how he gets on over the coming months.”