Teenager McReady and set for York City action (From York Press)
Get in touch: send your photos, videos, news & views by texting YORK to 80360 or send an email»
Teenager McReady and set for York City action
12:12pm Wednesday 11th July 2012 in Sport
By Dave Flett, Sports reporter
John McReady
TEENAGE midfielder John McReady is being backed by York City manager Gary Mills to hold down a first-team starting place at Bootham Crescent next season.
Mills has insisted age will prove no barrier for his new signing, who only turns 20 this month but made his debut for Darlington more than two years ago in the Football League.
The South Shields-born, 5ft 10in midfielder has also experienced loan spells in the unforgiving Northern League with Billingham and Whitby Town, leaving Mills with no doubts about his readiness for the club’s 2012/13 League Two challenge.
“John McReady is someone I tried to bring in from Darlington back in January but there were a few professional clubs looking at him then, including Middlesbrough,” the City boss revealed.
“He’s a good attacking midfielder who is exciting and will thrive on the way my teams play.
“He’s 19 now but one who I feel will get in my team.
“I believe in him because he has excellent ability and he is capable of scoring a lot more goals.
“The way we play will also benefit him in that respect and he’s hungry and ambitious.”
McReady only netted three times in 56 outings for Darlington and Mills is also predicting that fellow new recruit Michael Coulson can improve on a return of 34 goals from 178 appearances as a winger or centre forward at previous clubs Scarborough, Barnsley, Chester and Grimsby.
The City boss added: “Michael Coulson has played an abundance of games in the Conference.
“He has great ability on the ball and makes things happen.
“He assists in a lot of goals but can contribute more goals himself.”
Former Norwich and Oxford winger Oli Johnson is another new signing bracketed as “exciting” by Mills, who feels he will respond to joining a club close to his Wakefield home.
Said the City boss: “Oli Johnson is a northern lad who has been down south to play and not really settled despite doing decent jobs at all (his clubs), in particular Norwich, where he did well.
“Being a Yorkshire lad, he maybe just needs to settle down somewhere and coming to us will help him show what a consistently good player he can be.”
Meanwhile, City have released their squad numbers for the npower League 2 season.
They are: 1 Paul Musselwhite, 2 Lanre Oyebanjo, 3 Danny Blanchett, 4 Chris Smith, 5 David McGurk, 6 Daniel Parslow, 7 Jamie Reed, 8 Scott Kerr, 9 Jason Walker, 10 Ashley Chambers, 11 Michael Coulson, 12 Lee Bullock, 14 Oli Johnson, 15 John McReady, 16 Jamal Fyfield, 17 Matty Blair, 18 Tom Platt, 19 Michael Potts, 20 Jon Challinor, 21 Liam Henderson, 23 Chris Doig, 24 Michael Ingham, 26 Patrick McLaughlin.
Comments(23)
yorky1979
says...
12:32pm Wed 11 Jul 12
The Legend Of Keith
says...
12:52pm Wed 11 Jul 12
Still feel we are one out and out striker short of a full squad.
COYR.
YoRkIe59
says...
1:05pm Wed 11 Jul 12
uhtred
says...
2:21pm Wed 11 Jul 12
http://www.youtube.c
om/watch?v=Z_qjOxS4a
P0&feature=context-c
ha
YcfcKeepingTheFaith
says...
2:33pm Wed 11 Jul 12
tomwillo1
says...
2:46pm Wed 11 Jul 12
robiniorocks
says...
2:49pm Wed 11 Jul 12
robiniorocks
says...
2:49pm Wed 11 Jul 12
You're Fired
says...
3:05pm Wed 11 Jul 12
tips
says...
3:14pm Wed 11 Jul 12
duffy
says...
3:40pm Wed 11 Jul 12
tips wrote:No
Gary talking up McReady as a first team player does this indicate the Smith deal is off ? certainly gone very quiet.
roobarb85
says...
3:43pm Wed 11 Jul 12
duffy
says...
10:43pm Wed 11 Jul 12
http://www.thefootba
llforum.net/index.ph
p?/topic/212986-the-
official-league-2-pr
edict-the-table-comp
etition-thingy/page_
_pid__5010596#entry5
010596
KAT1965
says...
12:27pm Thu 12 Jul 12
robiniorocks
says...
1:00pm Thu 12 Jul 12
65.com/league-one/78
88732/Knill-rules-ou
t-Robins-striker
and stevenage who have also just signed Haber a striker from St Johnstone. time will tell!
TheBurton
says...
4:51pm Thu 12 Jul 12
duffy
says...
9:52pm Thu 12 Jul 12
TheBurton wrote:Played 40 odd times for the team that were champions of this league last season ?
I don't see why everyone is so obsessed with Smith. Fair enough, decent player but didn't do anything out of the ordinary at city to be getting all of this praise for being 'fantastic'. Im not saying he is crap, i think he did alright. Was just no where near one of the best players when he played for us.
sixtyfourfive
says...
10:05pm Thu 12 Jul 12
duffy wrote:And was then released!
TheBurton wrote: I don't see why everyone is so obsessed with Smith. Fair enough, decent player but didn't do anything out of the ordinary at city to be getting all of this praise for being 'fantastic'. Im not saying he is crap, i think he did alright. Was just no where near one of the best players when he played for us.Played 40 odd times for the team that were champions of this league last season ?
duffy
says...
10:12pm Thu 12 Jul 12
sixtyfourfive wrote:Only because they will be playing league one next season and even then most Swindon fans would have liked him to stay. Could just as easily be a mistake on their part. He has shown he can cut it in a team that's top of this league, what more proof do some people want ?
duffy wrote:And was then released!
TheBurton wrote: I don't see why everyone is so obsessed with Smith. Fair enough, decent player but didn't do anything out of the ordinary at city to be getting all of this praise for being 'fantastic'. Im not saying he is crap, i think he did alright. Was just no where near one of the best players when he played for us.Played 40 odd times for the team that were champions of this league last season ?
TheBurton
says...
10:16pm Thu 12 Jul 12
duffy wrote:i went to most home games the season he played and he dived into tackles earning pointless yellow cards and overall was a mediocre player. Like i said, he's decent, but we don't really need him back in my opinion
sixtyfourfive wrote:Only because they will be playing league one next season and even then most Swindon fans would have liked him to stay. Could just as easily be a mistake on their part. He has shown he can cut it in a team that's top of this league, what more proof do some people want ?
duffy wrote:And was then released!
TheBurton wrote: I don't see why everyone is so obsessed with Smith. Fair enough, decent player but didn't do anything out of the ordinary at city to be getting all of this praise for being 'fantastic'. Im not saying he is crap, i think he did alright. Was just no where near one of the best players when he played for us.Played 40 odd times for the team that were champions of this league last season ?
duffy
says...
10:27pm Thu 12 Jul 12
TheBurton wrote:You are quite right he was far too over the top the first half of the season, however he improved no end as the season progressed and was our best midfield player by the time he left in my view. I await been proven right yet again.
duffy wrote:i went to most home games the season he played and he dived into tackles earning pointless yellow cards and overall was a mediocre player. Like i said, he's decent, but we don't really need him back in my opinion
sixtyfourfive wrote:Only because they will be playing league one next season and even then most Swindon fans would have liked him to stay. Could just as easily be a mistake on their part. He has shown he can cut it in a team that's top of this league, what more proof do some people want ?
duffy wrote:And was then released!
TheBurton wrote: I don't see why everyone is so obsessed with Smith. Fair enough, decent player but didn't do anything out of the ordinary at city to be getting all of this praise for being 'fantastic'. Im not saying he is crap, i think he did alright. Was just no where near one of the best players when he played for us.Played 40 odd times for the team that were champions of this league last season ?
TheBurton
says...
10:34pm Thu 12 Jul 12
tips says...
12:18pm Wed 11 Jul 12