Cliftonville rocked by departure of defender as goalkeeper signs on permanent deal

Defender Luke Turner has departed Cliftonville

Cliftonville have had some bittersweet news this afternoon as goalkeeper David Odumosu has completed a permanent move to the club but, as revealed by Sunday Life Sport, defender Luke Turner has departed in a swap deal with St Patrick’s Athletic.

Centre-back Turner leaves the club having spent two-and-a-half seasons at Solitude after initially joining on loan from Aberdeen prior to the 2021/22 season, the 21-year-old Dubliner moving closer to home after signing a long-term deal with the Premier Division side.

In his first season at Cliftonville, Turner won their Young Player of the Year award, as well as the same accolades from the NI Football League and Football Writers, as well as being named Ulster Young Footballer of the Year.

The Irishman leaves Solitude having won the BetMcLean Cup in his first season at the club and will now aim to take St Pat’s to similar success after agreeing a switch to Richmond Park.

"Well where do I start. What a two and a half years we had,” wrote Turner on X, formerly known as Twitter.

"The club ,the fans and the volunteers who helped make solitude and cliftonville such a special place for me and everyone else involved. I feel like thanks isn’t enough for what the club has done for me.

“For me the only way I was ever gonna leave the club was to someone outside of the league. I will always be a red like you all and I can’t wait to see what the club has in store over the next few years.

"For now thank you and hopefully see you all again one day."

Moving the other way is goalkeeper Odumosu, who spent the first half of the campaign on loan at Solitude and had extended that deal until the end of the season, but that has now been extended to a