Former Manchester United goalkeeper Roy Carroll is set for a return to professional football at the age of 43 with Irish League side Dungannon Swifts.
𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗦𝗙𝗘𝗥 𝗡𝗘𝗪𝗦 📝
If you haven’t already heard👀... Roy Carroll is a #Swift 🕺🏽
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— Dungannon Swifts FC (@DgnSwifts) January 30, 2021
The former Northern Ireland goalkeeper made his professional debut 26 years ago for Ballinamallard United and had most recently played for Linfield in the Danske Bank Premiership before injury saw him drop out of full-time football.
Carroll made his league debut months before Dungannon's other goalkeeper, Sam Johnston, was born in March 1996. Dungannon's other goalkeeper, Conner Byrne, is just 17 years of age.
The element of aiding the duo's development is something that drew Carroll to Stangmore Park.
"A real pull for me to Dungannon is that the Club has two young keepers and I feel it would be good for me to come in and help them as much as I can.
"I know Connor (Byrne) very well as I’ve been working up at Dungannon Youth, in the NIFL Academy, with him.
"Hopefully I can help develop him and Sam (Johnston) for the future of the Club."
The lockdown has meant that Carroll has been looking for another route back into football, with his coaching school being closed down.
"My coaching school has been closed down and there’s been no football at all for me to play or coach.
"I was watching football on TV the other day and I said to myself I want to get back playing again.
"I want to get out at the weekends and enjoy the games and thats what I want to do.
"I want to try and bring my knowledge to the young players at Dungannon."
Also, Carroll is seven years older than his new manager, Kris Lindsay.
On signing Carroll, Lindsay believes that the one-time Premier League and FA Cup winner adds "invaluable experience" to his group of players.
"He comes with mountains of experience and I know he’ll be very good in our dressing room.
"We have a lot of young players, his experience will be invaluable for us and I’m thoroughly delighted to be able to get working with him."
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