Northern Ireland striker closing in on League Two switch as Dutch exit looms
Northern Ireland striker Lee Bonis is set to leave Dutch side ADO Den Haag and return to the UK to continue his career.
League Two side Chesterfield are among the clubs showing strong interest in the former Portadown frontman.
The 25-year-old had hoped to fire ADO Den Haag to the Eredivisie but they finished fourth in the second tier and were unable to qualify via the playoffs.
He brought an extra attacking dimension to the side, at one point scoring five goals in as many games.
In 38 games across all competitions for ADO Den Haag, he scored 12 and provided three assists.
But now a fresh challenge awaits as he targets further progression in his club and international career.
Scottish Premiership side Kilmarnock are also admirers of Bonis, however Chesterfield are among the English sides in the hunt for his signature.
In August last year the striker left Larne to join the Dutch side on a two-year deal for an undisclosed fee.
Bonis had joined Larne for a reported Irish League transfer fee of £100,000 in January 2022.
He netted 58 goals and contributed 28 assists in 118 games, establishing a great partnership with fellow forward Andy Ryan as Larne won back-to-back Irish Premiership titles.
Bonis has earned four Northern Ireland caps since making his debut in a scoreless draw against Belarus in Hungary last year in the Nations League. Goalkeeper Pierce Charles also made his senior international bow in that game.
The former Seagoe man made his first start in attack for Northern Ireland in the 1-1 draw against Switzerland at Windsor Park.
There is interest in Bonis from English and Scottish clubs but Chesterfield are hoping to seal a deal for the striker.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
North Wales Chronicle
23 minutes ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Sir Chris Hoy and wife Lady Sarra receive Freedom of the City of London
They have been recognised for charitable work for cancer awareness and neo-natal care, in addition to Sir Chris' sporting achievements as a British track cyclist. The couple, who have been married since 2010, attended a joint ceremony at the Lord Mayor's official residence, The Mansion House, on Thursday. Sir Chris said: 'London will always have a very special place in my heart, being the flag-bearer at the 2012 Olympic Games is an experience that will stay with me forever. 'Every Olympics is special, but nothing quite beats a home Games, and watching the city come together and creating memories in front of such amazing support at what would be my last is something I will never forget. 'It is a great honour to receive the Freedom of the City; thank you.' Sir Chris, a six-time Olympic cycling champion, 49, revealed in February 2024 he was undergoing cancer treatment, including chemotherapy. In October 2024, he announced that his diagnosis was terminal and said he had been told by doctors that he had two to four years to live. As well as six Olympic golds, the Edinburgh-born athlete won 11 world championships and 34 World Cup titles by the time he retired from competitive racing in 2013. He was knighted in the 2008 New Year Honours List after his success at the Beijing Olympics. The couple were nominated for the Freedom by Lord Mayor of London Alastair King and Caroline Haines, who is chair of the City of London Corporation's Epping Forest and Commons Committee. Sir Chris and Lady Sarra's son Callum was born at 29 weeks weighing just 2lbs 2oz in 2014, and Lady Sarra, a solicitor from Edinburgh who qualified in Scots and English law, is an ambassador for Bliss – a UK charity for sick and premature babies. Lady Sarra, who spoke on ITV's Lorraine earlier this year about being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), said: 'I'm deeply touched and honoured to have my charity work recognised in this way by the City of London. 'I feel very privileged that Chris and I were awarded Freedom of the City at the same time. 'Watching him compete at London 2012 in front of a home crowd that included our family and friends was so momentous, London will always remain a precious place for both of us.' Mr King said: 'Chris and Sarra are tremendously inspirational figures – Chris, as one of our most highly decorated and popular Olympic sports ambassadors, and Sarra, as a talented lawyer with dual qualifications in Scottish and English law, who has committed herself to campaigning for improved healthcare for children. 'Both of them must be commended for speaking so openly about living with cancer and multiple sclerosis, and it has been my privilege to support their freedom nominations.' The tradition of the freedom of the city is believed to date back to 1237. Recent recipients include comedian, actor and writer Sir Lenny Henry; choreographer and director Sir Matthew Bourne; and Lady Mary Peters, who won an Olympic gold medal in the athletics pentathlon in 1972.
Scotsman
28 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Hibs win battle for key player with 'perfect physical attributes for Scottish football'
Popular defender was pivotal figure in third place finish last season Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Hibs have held off interest from a number of clubs to secure defender Rocky Bushiri on a new contract. The popular centre-back, who became a key figure last season as David Gray's side claimed a third place finish, has put pen to paper on a three-year extension until the summer of 2028. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Bushiri's injury-time equaliser in a 3-3 draw against Aberdeen in November proved the cataylst for a remarkable run of form that took Hibs from the bottom of the William Hill Premiership to third place via a 17-game unbeaten run. Rocky Bushiri has signed a new three-year contract to remain at Hibs. (Photo by Sammy Turner / SNS Group) | SNS Group The DR Congo international, who originally joined Hibs in January 2022 on loan from Norwich City before the transfer was made permanent, has made 105 appearances for the Easter Road club, and solidified himself as a fans' favourite. Bushiri will rejoin his Hibs teammates for pre-season training on Friday along with the other players who were granted extra leave due to international duty. 'I am delighted that we've been able to agree a three-year deal with Rocky," said head coach Gray. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Rocky played a huge part in our success last season not only on the pitch but off it in the dressing room too. As a character, he's a perfect role model; he always works as hard as he can, is consistently trying to push himself, and he's a real leader. 'As a player, it was clear to see we saw the best of him last season. He has the perfect physical attributes for Scottish football and was growing in confidence and developing week on week. 'We look forward to working with him and helping him develop further over the next few years.' Bushiri chose a return to Hibs over offers from clubs in Belgium, France and the English Championship. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Sporting director Malky Mackay added: 'Unsurprisingly there were a number of teams interested in Rocky this summer, so we're really pleased he saw his future with us. 'We want to keep good people and good players at the Football Club, and Rocky is both of those. He'd a leader in the dressing room, cares about his teammates, and cares about the Football Club.
Daily Record
30 minutes ago
- Daily Record
Luuk de Jong 'open' to Rangers as mega Igamane transfer faces hijack attempt amid Shankland contract pitch
The PSV captain is considering his future after becoming a free agent at the end of last season Veteran striker Luuk de Jong would be "open" to joining Rangers this summer amid surging speculation in the Netherlands. The 34-year-old is out of contract with PSV Eindhoven after captaining the club to a second consecutive Dutch title having netted 18 goals and chipped in with 13 assists across the Eredivise and Champions League last season. De Telegraaf report that boss Peter Bosz is planning to make rising talent Ricardo Pepi his first-choice striker next season sparking "hesitation" over a new deal with Rangers touted as an interested party. It is claimed that the former Dutch international has no intention of retiring and is open to a "final foreign adventure" with PSV ready to move on to other targets. The report emerges with Lille preparing to make their move for Hamza Igamane with Cyriel Dessers also approaching the Ibrox exit with AEK interested. Record Sport understands that the Moroccan is keen on a deal but sources close to the Mastiffs admit a deal is 'nowhere near close' with the Light Blues pushing for £15million deal. Should a deal drag on, Foot Mercato report that both Marseille and Lens are waiting in the wings to hijack a deal - but a deal is an "earlier stage" than a potential switch to Lille. And while Maccabi Tel Aviv striker Dor Turgeman is keen on a switch to the Scottish Premiership side, Rangers boss Russell Martin has been told to look closer to home to bolster his attacking options. Hearts' are still waiting for an answer from Lawrence Shankland over their contract offer from the 29-year-old - who is now a free agent and has offers elsewhere. Former Ibrox striker Gordon Dalziel pitched the deal on Clyde 1 Superscoreboard, he said: "If you get Igamane out the building and you get that money for him, and you have a guy like Shankland sitting there on a free and it's wages only - I think that's a no-brainer. "He knows the league inside out, he has shown he can score goals, won Player of the Year two years ago, he is a Scotland international, you are not paying a fee for him - I think that would be a great bit of business for Rangers." You can get all the news you need on our dedicated Rangers and Celtic pages, and sign up to our newsletters to make sure you never miss a beat throughout the season. We're also on WhatsApp where we bring all the latest breaking news and transfer gossip directly to you phone. Join our Rangers community here and our Celtic community here.
