WELCOME ABOARD!

Following the move to full-time football and a raft of departures, the boss has been working non-stop behind the scenes to rebuild his squad and in this evening’s programme we put the spotlight on the first four of his summer signings.

The quartet in question are Kyle Connell, Luke Strachan, Will Gillingham and Arron Darge.

Twenty-one year old Kyle came through the youth ranks at Motherwell and Blackburn Rovers before joining Kilmarnock, where he made his debut in January 2020. The following year he netted a dramatic late equaliser for the Ayrshire side in a League Cup tie against Morton.

In between times, he had a productive loan spell with Airdrieonians, scoring six times in eleven starts, and would later enjoy a similarly successful season with East Fife. It was during that campaign that he caught Paul Hartley’s attention when he found the net in two of the meetings with Cove:

“He came on to our radar during those loans with Airdrie and East Fife, and I’ve kept an eye on him since.

“Kyle’s hungry, he’s raring to go, and being able to remain full-time was a big draw for him. He’s a good age – that’s the profile we’ve be looking at with our new signings – and I’ve got no doubt he will score goals for us.”

Kyle feels the time is right to launch his career in the north-east:

“I’ve played against Cove a number of times and always liked how they played football; I think that style will suit me, and I’m keen to get started.

“The fact the club is now going full-time was important, and I’m at a stage in my career where I’m looking forward to getting a good run of games and hopefully scoring plenty goals.

“I know a number of the guys from playing against them, and I know there will be more new faces coming in. It’s an exciting time for the club and I’m happy to be a part of that. I’ll work hard, we all will, and the aim will be to be pushing towards the top of the league and get promoted again.”

Twenty-two year old Luke Strachan joins Cove Rangers from Dundee, having been at Dens Park since the summer of 2019.

Luke enjoyed loan spells with Brechin City, Forfar Athletic and Alloa Athletic and made his Dundee debut in a Challenge Cup win over The New Saints in September 2022.

Paul Hartley is delighted to have captured the youngster, who can also play in midfield:

“He is versatile, which will be important to us, and he is a player I feel can make a big impact at Cove.

“I watched him a few times last season and liked what I saw, and I believe he will fit nicely into the squad we’re putting together.”

Luke was a regular in the Forfar first team in 2021-22, making thirty-one appearances, and also gained much experience last season when he featured in thirteen games for Alloa. He believes he is now ready to kick-on at Balmoral Stadium:

“I played a fair bit of football in the division last season, so I feel I know it well, and I’m hopeful that will help both me and the team.

“As soon as the manager spoke to me, I had a good feeling, I liked what I heard, and I’m really pleased to be part of what will be an exciting time for the club as they move towards full-time football.”

Luke comes from a richly-talented football family. His father Gavin has been part of the Celtic coaching staff in recent years, while his grandfather is Scottish legend Gordon Strachan. That being the case, he says he’s never short of advice:

“Between the manager, my Dad and Grandad there’s so much wisdom and experience there that I can call on, and it’s great to know I have that option. Both my Dad and Grandad were really encouraging when this move came up, they see it as a great chance and have urged me to make the most of it, and that’s exactly what I intend to do.”

Six foot, four inch central defender Will Gillingham also signed up in recent weeks. Born in London, his family relocated to New Zealand when he was a child, and he developed his love for the game growing up in Auckland.

The twenty-four year old then secured a college place in California, turning out regularly for the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos ahead of signing a professional contract with US League One side Central Valley Fuego.

He moved to Scotland earlier this year, spending some time training with Livingston, and says he is delighted to have joined Cove Rangers on a fulltime basis:

“I just felt the time was right to make this move. I was born here, I see Britain as the home of football, and I always wanted to play here.

“I got a really good grounding playing college football in the States, it was a great experience, and I learned so much there working with many different people. I’m confident that has put me in a good place, and I’m now ready for the next stage of my career.”

Manager Paul Hartley says Will comes highly recommended, and feels he can play a big part in our League One campaign next season:

“He came on our radar through Gordon Young’s contacts in the States, so we had a look at him, and liked what we saw.

“Will is a player who likes to defend, which is important, he is strong and aggressive and will be a good presence in both boxes.”

Arron Darge is a commanding central defender who came through the Hearts youth system and regularly captained their B team in the Lowland League. The twenty year old enjoyed a successful loan with Kelty Hearts last season, scoring in back-to-back League One encounters with Edinburgh City and Peterhead.

He says he sees the move to the northeast as the next logical step in his career:

“I had a great time at Hearts, worked with so many good people, and that gave me a start in football. I learned so much there.

“Going out on loan in the second half of last season was important for my development and playing in midfield took me out of my comfort zone. It was a big test, but I think I benefitted from it, and I really enjoyed it.

“The fact that Cove are moving to fulltime football played a big part in my decision to come here, and I think that working with the manager and coaching staff will help me to improve my allround game.

“While I do like to step out with the ball on occasion, my main strength is defending, and whichever position I play, that will be what I’ll be focusing on.”

The manager believes Arron will be an important addition his squad:

“Arron is mainly a centre-half, but he has filled in at right-back, and he’s also played one up in the midfield. He definitely gives us some good options.

“He’s full of energy and drive, is a strong player, and the perfect profile for us.

“I spoke to Robbie Neilson, who could not have been more positive about Arron, and given more experience, he is going to be a really good player for us in the future.”

In the next programme, for the game against Livingston on Tuesday, July 25th, we will focus on the next batch of new signings: Rumarn Burrell, Mouhamed Niang, Mark Gallagher and Nick Suman.