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Derry born Darron Gibson has agreed a new three year deal with Premiership champions Manchester United.
The Ireland international midfielder, who was guest of honour at the recent Tesco Foyle Cup launch in Derry, will remain at Old Trafford until 2012 and admits he can't wait for the start of next season.
"I am very happy to commit my future to United," Gibson told ManUtd.com.
"Last season I enjoyed every opportunity and when I got my chance I wanted to prove what I could do. I hope to continue that this season."
The 21-year-old, who made 14 appearances for Alex Ferguson's men last season, also played a major role in their Carling Cup success over Spurs, at Wembley in February, ended the campaign on a memorable note when he fired home United's winner over Hull City on the final day of the Premiership season.
Gibson has also been an integral part of Giovanni Trapattoni's Ireland squad during the Word Cup qualifying campaign.
The Manchester United manager expects Gibson to play an even bigger part during the 2009/10 season.
"Darron was one of the young players who emerged last season as a United first-team player," Ferguson explained to United's official website.
"His appearance ratio did not really reflect the high regard in which we hold him, as he has constantly worked hard to challenge for a first team spot."
Manchester United have agreed a fee to sign Charlton Athletic and Ireland u17 international youngster Sean McGinty.
The Premier League giants have reportedly reached an agreement for a compensation package for the youngster, and now McGinty looks set to join the youth ranks at Old Trafford.
The 15-year-old was offered a scholarship at The Valley but has seemingly rejected it, and looks set to end his three-year stay with the club.
Maidstone-based McGinty joined the Addicks at the age of 12 and, despite his age, represented both Charlton's U18 side and reserves last season.
After several appearances for the U18s, McGinty made his first start for the second XI in a 1-0 defeat to Millwall at Stonebridge Road in April.
He then went on to feature in a 5-0 win over Southampton in a behind-closed-doors fixture at Sparrows Lane and also started a 2-0 triumph at Reading.
Ireland striker Kevin Doyle admits the speed of Mick McCarthy’s advances convinced him to join Barclays Premier League newcomers Wolves.
Doyle completed his record-breaking £6.5million move from Reading late on Monday night after undergoing a medical.
The 25-year-old joins Wolves on a four-year contract believed to be worth £35,000-a-week after spending a week considering his options.
The much sought-after Ireland international was being chased by half-a-dozen top-flight clubs including Sunderland, Fulham, Bolton, Everton and Aston Villa. Tottenham and West Ham also joined the race late.
Wolves were the first club to open talks with Doyle and had already triggered the £6.5m release clause in his contract with Reading, who paid Cork City just £78,000 for his services in 2005.
Wolves made contact with the Royals immediately after their exit from the Championship play-offs at the hands of Burnley in May and quickly had a bid accepted.
Nothing happened for a month as the Wexford man returned home to recover from a calf strain sustained in the first leg of the play-off semi-final.
But after meeting with Wolves boss McCarthy and being shown around the club’s facilities last week, he needed just seven days to mull it over.
Everton and Aston Villa attempted to hijack the deal at the 11th hour on Monday night but Doyle’s mind was already made up — even though he could
have earned more elsewhere.
He becomes Wolves’ third signing after Nenad Milihas and Doyle’s former Reading team-mate, Marcus Hahnemann.
Unveiled yesterday morning, Doyle thanked Wolves for their expedience. ‘The fact that the day the season was over they put in a phone call and had a bid accepted, that interest straight away made me think “they’re keen”.
‘They came in and settled things with Reading so they were the first club I spoke to. I was expecting a long summer but Wolves were in straight away.
‘I spoke to the manager and chief executive over a week ago and came to the training ground to see everything. I’ve been making my mind up over the last couple of weeks and am just really pleased the decision has been made.
‘The facilities here are top class and it’s great to be going back to the Premier League again. I’m sad to be leaving Reading because I had some great years but I’m going with their blessing, which is nice. This is a fresh start.’
His exit signals the start of the break-up of Reading’s Irish contingent with winger Stephen Hunt next to move this summer, leaving Shane Long, Noel Hunt, Jay Tabb
and David Mooney at the Madejski Stadium while Doyle swaps one Irish camp for another.
He will settle in quickly with fellow internationals Andy Keogh and Kevin Foley already in the Wolves squad as well as former Under 21 forward Stephen Ward, while boss McCarthy played for and managed the national side.
Doyle will also link up again with American goalkeeper Hahnemann, who joined Wolves for free last month and who also influenced the striker’s thinking.
‘I’m leaving one set of Irish lads to join another as well as obviously knowing Marcus,’ he said. ‘It always makes it that little bit easier to settle in when there are a few faces you recognise.’
Doyle shot to prominence in Reading’s first season in the Premier League and hit the back of the net 13 times in 28 appearances — just the sort of firepower McCarthy will want to keep Wolves from avoiding the drop.
However, the FAI Player of the Year insists the top flight should hold no fears for the newly-promoted club after Reading’s amazing eighth place in 2006/07, when they narrowly missed out on Europe before relegation a season later.
He said: ‘We finished a point and a goal away from Europe when I went up with Reading. I don’t know why we did so well but we all went in there wide-eyed, excited and fresh to play and that got us through.
‘But it’s not a completely different world and you realise you can do well there. I wanted to get back there with Reading but we didn’t do it last season.
‘I’m delighted to be joining what is historically a massive club and one which will be trying to establish itself in the Premier League.’
Wolves have signed striker Kevin Doyle from Reading for a club record fee believed to be about £6.5m.
The 25-year-old Ireland international had been linked with other top-flight clubs but has signed a four-year deal with the Molineux side.
"Wolves were the first club that came in and settled things with Reading and so they were the first club I spoke to," he told the Wolves website.
"I was expecting a long summer but Wolves were in straightaway."
Doyle scored 18 goals in the Championship last season but failed to steer Reading to promotion as they finished fourth but were beaten by Burnley in the play-off semi-finals.
He becomes manager Mick McCarthy's third summer signing following the arrivals of midfielder Nenad Milijas and keeper Marcus Hahnemann
"I'm delighted to get the move sorted and can't wait to get going," added Doyle.
"I spoke to the manager and chief executive Jez Moxey over a week ago and came to the training ground to see everything.
"I've been making my mind up over the last couple of weeks and am just really pleased the decision has been made.
"The facilities here are top class and it's great to be going back into the Premier League again."
Doyle had a stint in the Premier League with Reading and scored 13 goals in 32 outings in the 2006/07 campaign.
But he notched just eight in 36 the following season as the Royals were relegated.
He added: "I'm sad to be leaving Reading because I had some great years there but I'm going with their blessing as well which is nice. This is a fresh start."
Wolves owner Steve Morgan believes the club are still in the running to sign Reading striker Kevin Doyle.
Bolton Wanderers have matched the £6.5 million asking price with Fulham and Sunderland also thought to be interested in the Ireland international.
Newly-promoted Wolves have held talks with Doyle and Morgan maintains manager Mick McCarthy can bring the player to Molineux.
'Kevin Doyle is a quality player and all the players we’re talking to are quality players,' said Morgan.
“If someone like him becomes available, then we have to be interested. We’re having very constructive talks with several players at the moment.”
“'I’d like to think we’ll make further announcements in the next week or two. I wouldn’t say we’re pushing the boat out – the club has a budget that we will work to.”
'But we’re determined to bring quality to the club
Sunderland face an anxious wait to see if they can attract defender Richard Dunne away from Manchester City.
New Black Cats boss Steve Bruce has been heavily linked with a £5million move for the 29-year-old Ireland international since his unveiling as Ricky Sbragia's replacement.
Dunne has emerged as a target amid speculation big-spending City are eyeing Everton's Joleon Lescott and Arsenal's Kolo Toure this summer, but the Black Cats still do not know whether City manager Mark Hughes will be prepared to let the Dubliner leave Eastlands even if he does land his defensive targets.
And even if he is allowed to go, Sunderland are certain to face competition for a player who starred in his country's 1-1 draw in Bulgaria at the start of this month as they edged closer to next summer's World Cup finals.
In the circumstances, they are adopting a measured approach to their summer recruitment programme, which has already seen them touted as potential purchasers for a series of players in a variety of positions.
The acquisition of an experienced central defender to partner £8million signing Anton Ferdinand is a priority, with the former West Ham man having been made to pay for a series of lapses in concentration during his first season on Wearside.
Ireland defender Stephen Kelly has become Fulham manager Roy Hodgson's first summer capture after leaving Birmingham City to sign a three-year deal at Craven Cottage.
"I'm delighted to have joined a progressive club which has recently achieved its highest ever top-flight finish," the defender said.
The 25-year-old made six appearances while on loan at Stoke last season.
He also played every minute of Blues' unsuccessful fight against Premier League relegation in 2007-8.
Kelly missed much of the early part of last season with a thigh injury and was allowed to leave for a temporary stint with Tony Pulis's Stoke side in February, after the arrival of fellow Ireland international Stephen Carr and Portsmouth's Djimi Traore at St Andrew's.
But he made only two starts for the Britannia Stadium side as he found his way into the side blocked by the solid form of right-back Andy Wilkinson.
He will compete with John Pantsil for the same role at Craven Cottage and will face a similarly tough task to win a regular first-team slot after the Ghana international missed just one game of the west London side's Premier League campaign.
"Stephen is a talented young full-back with experience of playing in the Premier League as well as competing at international level," said Hodgson.
"He will be a useful addition as we look to improve our squad ahead of the start of next season and I am hopeful that we will be able to announce further additions in the coming weeks."
Kelly is a graduate of Tottenham's youth academy and played 44 times for Spurs before heading to Birmingham in a £750,000 switch in June 2006.
