Jonte Smith Signs With Ballymena United
Ballymena United Football Club in Northern Ireland announced the signing of Jonte Smith, with the Bermudian footballer making his debut for the team in their match today.
The club’s announcement said, “Ballymena United are delighted to announce the signing of forward Jonte Smith. The 27-year-old Bermuda international joins as a free agent having last played for Woking FC in the English National League.
“International clearance has been granted and Smith has been registered in time to be in contention for tomorrow’s game at home to Glenavon.
Manager David Jeffrey was pleased with his move to bolster the squad following the injury to David Parkhouse, saying, “Following on from David and Josh’s injuries, we knew we had to make every effort to see if we could strengthen outside the transfer window, given the potentially lengthy period we will miss them.
“David was signed to lead the front line, but was unfortunate to be on the end of a tackle that has curtailed his start with us. We were against the clock to identify, bring across and observe any new players, but Jonte came with good recommendations, he was as keen to have a look at us as we were him and he has taken part in training with utmost professionalism.
“Ultimately from what we have seen, every box has been ticked for both him and ourselves. I am absolutely delighted and have to say thanks to those who worked tirelessly until late last evening and then picked the baton up early this morning to ensure paperwork was completed to have him cleared in time for Saturday.’
Smith said, “‘The first impressions have been great, we had a tour of the stadium and the facilities this week and it’s a great place and a great surface. I felt early on that I will enjoy it and be very happy here. Leroy [Millar] and Dan [Bramall] took me out for lunch and got a tour of the area also, which made coming into training easier in terms of knowing a few faces and already starting to build relationships.
“I feel I trained well and felt comfortable and all has went well from there on. It was a bit of a rush to get it all cleared this morning ahead of tomorrow’s game, but I believe it all came through with a minute to spare and I’m glad to move forward as a sky blue now.’
“‘I moved from Bermuda to play football when I was sixteen years old, I’ve played in both Finland and Norway so travelling is not new. I love to experience different cultures and environments and so settling in here won’t be a problem. I’m looking forward to meeting the fans tomorrow and giving them a performance. As a striker I pride myself on goals over all else, and goals is what the manager wants, so that’s what I’m here to do.”
