A Celtic summer signing has been sent a farewell message by his former club after putting pen to paper on a professional contract.

The teenager has also been getting opportunities to train with the first team since arriving in Glasgow.

Cliftonville thank Shea McGarry following Celtic move

Cliftonville have sent their best wishes to Shea McGarry after Celtic confirmed the 17-year-old defender had signed a professional contract until June 2029.

The Belfast club posted on X on Monday: “Cliftonville FC offers thanks and sincere best wishes for the future to Academy graduate Shea McGarry following confirmation of his move to Celtic.”

McGarry joined Celtic in the summer after making three senior appearances for Cliftonville. He made his first-team debut against Ballymena United in January and was part of the Cliftonville Strollers squad that won the Academy League Under-18 title last season.

Cliftonville assistant Gerard Lyttle previously backed McGarry to make an impact at Celtic.

When Celtic completed the signing, Lyttle described McGarry as a “big centre back with a lovely wand of a left foot” and backed him to have a big future in football.

Shea McGarry has already trained with Celtic’s first team

McGarry has made five appearances for Celtic B, and his mother Lorraine told the Andersonstown News earlier this month that he had already taken part in 14 first-team training sessions.

She explained that the speed of play had been one of the biggest adjustments for her son since moving to Celtic.

Before joining Cliftonville, McGarry played Gaelic games for Lámh Dhearg in Belfast and was involved with Celtic Boys.

His mother credits Gaelic games with helping develop his aggression, leadership and confidence, qualities that have served him well since making the switch to football.