Ballymena clinch signing of Coleraine skipper Stephen O'Donnell as midfielder Dylan Boyle moves to the Bannsiders in the opposite direction

Coleraine head coach Dean Shiels (left) with Dylan Boyle. (Photo by Lori Watton/Coleraine FC)

O'Donnell was placed on the transfer list by the Bannsiders after not being offered a full-time contract to remain at The Showgrounds, which alerted a host of Premiership clubs to obtain his services.

However, the 31-year-old has been snapped up by derby rivals United and becomes the fourth player to move from Coleraine to Ballymena this summer after Jack O'Mahony, Aaron Jarvis and Josh Carson also completed the switch to Jim Ervin's side.

O'Donnell made a total of 229 appearances for Coleraine since arriving in the summer of 2017 and captained the side to success in the Irish Cup and League Cup, as well as making numerous appearances in Europe.

Stephen O'Donnell on duty for Coleraine. The defender has now signed for Ballymena United. (Photo by David Cavan/Coleraine FC)

Midfielder Boyle has moved in the opposite direction, to Coleraine from Ballymena.

The 22-year-old joined Ballymena United last summer after a spell at Fleetwood Town and put in a string of fine performances despite the Sky Blues' struggles.

Ballymena released the following statement over social media: "Ballymena United is delighted to announce the signing of Coleraine captain Stephen O'Donnell on a two-year deal.

"Stephen is a well-respected no-nonsense defender who will bring us stability and experience.

"While this deal is another positive for our club, we see Dylan Boyle move in the opposite direction.

"We had no desire to see Dylan leave the club, but he signed for us last season from a full-time environment on the understanding that we would allow him to rejoin a full-time club providing it was the right deal.

"Coleraine are on a different pathway in football right now, and the deal was right for all involved.

"We thank Dylan for his commitment to The Sky Blues over the last season and wish him well for the future.”

Coleraine released a statement following confirmation of the business.

"Coleraine’s club captain Stephen O’Donnell has agreed to terms for a move to Ballymena United, with NI U21 midfielder Dylan Boyle moving to Coleraine,” it read. “Stevie joined the Bannsiders in May 2017 and has since made 215 appearances over a seven-year period.

"During his tenure, he was instrumental in helping the team secure the Irish Cup in 2017 and the League Cup in 2020. He also captained the side in our famous UEFA Europa League wins at home against La Fiorita and away in Maribor.

"As a superb central defender, a great leader, and a role model, he will undoubtedly be remembered as a club legend."

The club statement ended: “Everyone at Coleraine FC sends their best wishes to Stephen, and he will always be warmly welcomed at the Showgrounds.”

In the statement on the Coleraine website, former manager and recently-appointed sporting director Oran Kearney said: “It’s always sad when players with such a rich history with the club move on.

"Stevie is a tremendous leader on the pitch, bringing desire, commitment, and exceptional football intelligence.

"Our return to form last season coinciding with his comeback from injury was no surprise. We had been missing his passion and leadership.

“He will be greatly missed at the club, and we wish him all the best for the next chapter of his career. We won’t have to wait long to see him again, as we face Ballymena at the Showgrounds on August 17th.”

Coleraine head coach Dean Shiels feels Boyle will help boost “a really important position”.“He is a player we have been monitoring throughout the window, and when the opportunity came up to bring him in, it was one that we were really keen to pursue,” said Shiels on the official Coleraine website. “He is the right age profile; he’s 22 years old and has lots to prove.

"He plays in a deep midfield position, which is a really important position with the way we want to play.

"His counter-pressing and ball recovery stats are some of the highest in the league. I think the fans are really going to take to him.”

Boyle told the Coleraine website: “I’ve been speaking to Dean and Oran over the last couple of weeks and can’t wait to get started. I know there is such a big project going on here at the moment, and the club is looking forward with lots of ambition.

"Because of my personal ambitions, I think it will suit me perfectly. From 16 to 21, I was in a full-time set-up at Fleetwood, so I’m excited to get back into full-time football.”