The Ballarat Red Devils have unveiled their first signing of the mid-season transfer window following the acquisition of former Celtic midfielder Paul George.
Not to be confused with the Indiana Pacers NBA superstar, the 22-year-old moves to the regional outfit having primarily spent the majority of his senior career with the Glasgow giant.
Born in the small town of Killough in Northern Ireland, he joined the Celtic academy in 2008, progressing through their set-up before making his senior debut in September 2011 in a 2-0 league cup victory over Ross County.
However, further first-team opportunities were hard to come by for the teenager, with Neil Lennon’s side featuring the likes of Scott Brown, Joe Ledley, Ki Sung-Yeung, Charlie Mulgrew and Victor Wanyama to name a few.
In addition to these seasoned internationals, George also played alongside Socceroos Jackson Irvine and Tom Rogic at Parkhead, with his time at the Bhoys curtailed by injury.
A broken leg suffered in an U19s old firm clash with Rangers saw him miss the better part of 2012, while a pre-season injury saw him miss a substantial part of the 2014/15 campaign before being released in January 2015 by the one-time European Cup winners.
Despite the setbacks, a highlight of his time with the club was winning the Scottish Premier League (SPL) Under 19 League Player of the Season award in 2011/12.
Comfortable in the centre of the park in addition along the flanks, George made six Scottish Premiership appearances while on loan with Hamilton Academical in 2014, where he was managed by current Norwich City coach Alex Neil.
Following his departure from Celtic, he spent the first few months of 2015 with second tier side Dunfermline Athletic, making four appearances with the club.
A youth international with both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, George returned to his country of birth by agreeing terms with Belfast-based Cliftonville for the 2015-16 NIFL Premiership.
The midfielder could make his Red Devils debut this Sunday when James Robinson’s outfit take on promotion chasing NPL2 side Kingston City at Morshead Park.
Ballarat sit sixth in the West conference standings, only four points adrift of first placed Melbourne City and will look to George to provide added quality to their midfield as they seek a return to the top-flight following their relegation from the top tier in 2014.
Image: Dunfermline Athletic Football Club