Carrick's Allen and Portadown's Redman retire
Carrick Rangers striker Curtis Allen and Portadown defender Ross Redman have both called time on their football careers.Allen, 37, brings the curtain down on a career that has included two spells with Coleraine as well as time at Bournemouth, Lisburn Distillery, Linfield, Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Glentoran.The forward won the Irish Premiership title with the Blues in 2010, the League Cup with Coleraine in 2020 and the Irish Cup with Glentoran in 2015.During his six-year stay at the Glens, Allen scored 110 goals in 232 games.He took over as interim manager of Carrick earlier this season alongside Mark Surgenor following the sacking of Stuart King.Redman began his career with hometown club Portadown, winning the Championship and the League Cup with the Ports in 2009.He left in 2016 to sign for Glentoran before joining Dungannon Swifts on loan.The 36-year-old then went to Ballymena United in 2020 before returning to the Ports on a free transfer in 2023.He once again helped his side to win the Championship in his first season back at Shamrock Park before helping them to an eighth-place finish in the Irish Premiership this year.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Edinburgh Live
an hour ago
- Edinburgh Live
Former Hibs player turns life around after drunken Edinburgh incident he won't forget
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Footballer Victor Palsson was banned from every nightclub in Edinburgh when he was a Hibs player after a drunken incident, but the athlete has since turned his life around. The Icelander was caught urinating against a wall, which resulted in a blanket ban. But after quitting the booze, Palsson got his career back on track. The former Liverpool player has enjoyed a career which has taken him from New York to Holland, Sweden, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium - and now Plymouth. He spent a stint in the capital with the Hibees in 2011, which he says was a life-changing experience, reports the Sunday Mail. The 34-year-old said: 'It was a very long time ago. I was a young lost boy back then. 'Looking back, I was young and not really aware of the importance of life and being a professional footballer. I made a lot of mistakes, especially at Hibs. It started off OK but then it wasn't good. 'I didn't leave in a good way either, so I think my time there is remembered for the wrong things. There was a big incident, a six month ban from all the nightclubs. But as I said, I was lost. 'It helped me focus, 100 percent. A few years later I made some big decisions to sort out my life. I'm happy I did that. I gave up drinking. The time at Hibs played a part in that. 'I just couldn't handle my drinking. I gave it up and haven't had a drink for almost 11 years now. I had to focus and I've managed to make a decent career.' Palsson is now at Plymouth Argyle who were relegated from the English Championship last season. That was despite the efforts of Scottish striker Ryan Hardie, who bagged 12 goals for the Pilgrims. And Palsson insists he could play for Scotland. He said: 'Ryan is a really good player and I hope we can hold on to him. 'For two years, he's hit double figure goals in the Championship. He talks to us about Scotland. He's a great professional who wants to play for his country and I think he's done enough to get a chance - even in a friendly. 'Hopefully we'll see him play for Scotland in the future. Ryan is a great finisher and so quick. He's rapid.' Palsson, along with his Iceland team-mates, left Scotland looking punch drunk at Hampden on Friday night as they secured a 3-1 friendly win. Iceland fully deserved their shock win over Clarke's men at Hampden on Friday night - even if they were helped by mistakes from rookie keeper Ciaran Slicker. Palsson was delighted with the result and admits they took advantage of the goalie's fragility. He said: 'We played some great football in the first half and didn't give away many chances. We suffered a bit in the second half but overall it was a fair win. 'I try to put myself in the shoes of the young goalkeeper. He came on after two minutes and we could see with his first few kicks, he wasn't 100 percent. 'We just started pressing him and it gave us blood on the teeth. We heard the crowd boo at half-time so we just said, keep doing what we're doing. It was a good win for us.'
Daily Record
2 hours ago
- Daily Record
Dream Rangers XI for Russell Martin with two £12m men, prize Ibrox asset and Leeds United connection exploited
Record Sport's Scott McDermott looks at how the Light Blues could line up in a dream scenario for the new boss New Rangers boss Russell Martin has already set his sights on Ibrox signing targets after taking over as gaffer. Record Sport exclusively revealed that he's keen on Israeli striker Dor Turgeman from Maccabi Tel Aviv and Leicester City defender Conor Coady. And the Rangers rumour mill is in overdrive, in terms of which players might follow him to Glasgow. Martin will also be assessing the squad he's inherited from Philippe Clement, with some players fighting for their futures. After finishing 17 points behind Celtic, there will be a complete overhaul this summer, especially with new sporting director Kevin Thelwell on board. Martin has been linked with guys he's worked with in the past at former clubs Southampton and Swansea City. And being renowned for his distinct style of play, the new Gers boss will know exactly the type of player he wants to bring to Ibrox. Here, Record Sport takes a look at what his new-look Rangers side might look like if he can pull off a dream summer transfer window: Jack Butland It remains to be seen whether Martin will want a new goalkeeper to kick-start his Rangers revolution. To play in his style the keeper has to be adept with the ball at his feet and Butland has had issues in that department. But he's a former England international who has another two years left on his contract so should start the season as Gers' number one James Tavernier Martin wants his full-backs to bomb up and down with energy - and the skipper will be 34 in October. But the manager has already confirmed that his former Ibrox team-mate, Tavernier, will remain as club captain this season. He also said that he'll have to earn a start like every other player so it will be interesting to see what competition Tavernier has at right-back. Conor Coady Martin is keen to add experience to Rangers' backline and sees the former England centre-back as an ideal addition. Coady was captain at Wolves for years before moving to Leicester for £12 million. He's a ball-playing defender with proper leadership skills and a big voice in the dressing-room. If Martin gets his man this summer, he'll be a key signing for Gers. Harry Darling When Martin moved from MK Dons to Swansea City, he immediately wanted Darling to join him in Wales. He went on to become a vital player for him at the Liberty Stadium and is now available on a free transfer with his contract expired. There's loads of interest from other Championship clubs but Darling would seem an obvious target for Martin who knows he can rely on him. Harry Toffolo Martin knows Toffolo from his days at Norwich when the left-back was a youth player who eventually left Carrow Road and made a name for himself at Huddersfield. Nottingham Forest signed him when they were promoted to the Premier League. He's available on a Bosman and would give Gers experience at left-back - as well as challenging Jefte should Ridvan Yilmaz move on. Flynn Downes There's no doubt Martin would love to have Downes at Ibrox as his number six and midfield orchestrator. The former West Ham kid was an integral part of his Southampton team who got promoted to the Premier League when he was on loan at St Mary's. But that deal was made permanent for a huge £12 million fee so it will be difficult - and expensive - to lure him to Ibrox. Nico Raskin The Belgian midfielder is one of the few genuinely valuable assets in the Rangers squad Martin has taken on. Especially now that he's an established international player in the Red Devils' side alongside the likes of Kevin de Bruyne. Gers will be braced for summer bids for Raskin but if Martin is assessing what he's got in the building, he will surely be determined to ensure the 24-year-old stays in Govan. Metinho Rangers were heavily linked with Metinho even before Martin was appointed so might well be a player on Thelwell's list of targets. The Troyes midfielder has impressed on loan at Swiss club Basel and is a box-to-box player who would fit perfectly into Martin's style of play. He grew up in Rio de Janeiro and has been dubbed the Brazilian Paul Pogo. At just 22 he's got the potential to be a poser boy for Rangers' new player trading model. Oscar Cortes At his unveiling, Martin was keen to point out that he's going to give current Rangers players a chance to impress. He says he's ready to be surprised by certain individuals. Colombian winger Cortes would certainly fall into that category. A £4million buy from Lens, he's struggled to make an impact at Ibrox due to injury. But he's now fully fit and the new boss likes to play with wide players. He might just unlock Cortes' quality. Dor Turgeman Rangers and Martin are very keen on the Israeli front-man to spearhead their attack ahead of the new season. Turgeman bagged 20 goals for Maccabi Tel Aviv as they won the title last term and has loads of admirers around Europe. Martin wanted him at Southampton and has now reignited his interest at Ibrox. At around £4 million, he'd be a statement signing for the new regime. With Vaclav Cerny not returning to Ibrox after his successful loan stint, Rangers need a right winger - especially with the way Martin wants to see his team play. And given the new ownership's links to Leeds United - via Paraag Marathe and the 49ers - Harrison is someone they could look at. He spent last season at Everton in the Premier League on loan but has now returned to Elland Road. If he's not part of Daniel Farke's plans in England's top flight, Ibrox could be his next destination. Substitutes: Liam Kelly, John Souttar, Jefte, Mohamed Diomande, Joe Aribo, Cyriel Dessers, Hamza Igamane, Jamie Vardy
Leader Live
2 hours ago
- Leader Live
Will Wrexham AFC striker Faal be a big hit next season?
At least one young talent will surely be given time to develop, though perhaps not in North Wales for the moment. Mo Faal was brought in as the transfer window closed at the start of last season and was widely reported to be our record club signing at the time. He has already arrived at an interesting point, even this early in his career. He finished last season out of the first team squad, even though we were selecting four strikers in our matchday 18. Some people have prematurely jumped to the conclusion that he is not going to be at the club for long and will have to be sold at a loss. I strongly suspect not, although I understand the instinct to assume he has not been a success having not made a league start after we'd paid a substantial fee for him. When Wrexham signed Faal, Phil Parkinson said he was one for the future, a project he would work on. He should be judged further down the road, not now. He is quick, has fast feet and is able to cause problems for defenders in the air. In fact, causing problems for defenders is his specialism. He's unorthodox. He's awkward. He's difficult to read. His spindly legs and arms stick out and make it difficult for defenders to step in around him to get at the ball. He pulls off moves you don't expect. That's exactly what Parkinson and his scouting team saw in him when they brought him in. It's also something they need to nurture. There are plenty of times when it doesn't come off. However, you don't want to coach the inspiration out of him. It's his ability to do the unexpected, to operate in an unusual way, that caught the eye in the first place. So, what next? Plainly, Parkinson will look to develop him. But the chances of him getting a chance in our Championship side seem slim. There's every chance that Parkinson will invest in a striker with experience of the Championship, or higher. Therefore, Faal could find himself further down the pecking order. You'd think Wrexham will look to loan him out. He has potential, without question, and has already shown some signs of living up to it last season. He's still young, and he is a player who already looks like the rough edges were being knocked off him. His performances in the EFL Trophy became more consistent as the season wore on, and our run to the verge of Wembley meant we were able to afford him a fair amount of first team exposure in the competition. He started all seven games, scoring three goals, while in other competitions he made nine substitute appearances, all in the last 20 minutes of matches. His early performances were a mixture of the extravagant and the unfortunate. Sometimes he would pull off a neat trick, sometimes it wouldn't stick, and he'd lose the ball. In later games, he looked a little more orthodox as he settled into the way we set ourselves up. There was plenty of good stuff in his early appearances, not least a sublime volleyed goal against Wolves Under-21s. It all came together with his all-round performance at Port Vale in the last 16, when he tortured the home defenders with his directness and aggression. He set up a goal and when he capped off a 4-1 win with the final goal there was widespread delight. He deserved it as a reward for a fine stint, and the reaction of his teammates and the away fans as he wheeled away gleefully reflected that. He scored again in the semi-final, and when we withdrew him in the 66th minute we were 2-0 up and apparently coasting to a final at Wembley. Let's stop talking about the EFL Trophy there, shall we? The best thing about it is that we won't have to play in it next season! Having said that, the removal of a third knock-out competition from our schedule limits Faal's chances of first team action further. It was intriguing to see Faal's development, and surely he now needs a season of first team football to help him develop further. Ostensibly, Faal is in a similar position to Sam Dalby, who went out on loan as Faal arrived. He was also brought in as a player to be developed, but the swiftness of our rise through the divisions meant Parkinson simply didn't have the time to work with him. Similarly, Jake Bickerstaff is a fine instinctive finisher. If we'd stayed in League Two for a few years, we might have been able to bring Dalby and Bickerstaff through, but we have leaped so swiftly to the Championship that we had to move on. Parkinson has shown with Max Cleworth that he is more than willing to bring young players through though, and Faal might just, with a spell of temporary absence, turn out to be another exception to the rule.
