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Kyle McClelland hopes Cove Rangers switch reignites Northern Ireland ambitions

Cove Rangers new signing Kyle McClelland
Cove Rangers new signing Kyle McClelland.

Kyle McClelland hopes his loan move to Cove Rangers can help him break back into the Northern Ireland international setup.

McClelland took a break from international football to sort out his club career and, after moving to Hibernian this summer and heading on loan to Cove, he has a platform to prove his worth again.

The 20-year-old defender earned caps for the Northern Irish under-21 side, but struggled for game-time at senior level last season while at Rangers.

He signed a long-term deal this summer when he moved to the Hibees and was pitched in with the first-team during pre-season.

McClelland made his Cove debut as a second-half substitute in the 2-2 draw with Partick Thistle at the weekend and hopes his time in the north-east can reignite his international hopes.

“That’s the most important thing for me, to play for my country,” said McClelland. “Hopefully I get the call-up again soon.

“I left Rangers in the summer and didn’t have a club for a while; I was staying fit by myself so I said to them (Northern Ireland) I wanted my club to come first. Once that was sorted, I’d be ready to come back.

“Hopefully I keep putting performances in and doing well for the team here.

‘Cove have made me feel very welcome’

“It’s a long-term contract I’ve signed, so I know there’s plans for me to continue on in my career and this is the start of it.

“The big aim is to get as much experience as I can and learn off the senior pros, like Mark Reynolds and Mitch Megginson. It’s trying to take in everything in I can.

“I want to get as many games under my belt as I can at Cove and hopefully I can do that.”

McClelland had a previous loan spell with League One side Falkirk and has represented Northern Ireland at under-17, under-19 and under-21 level.

The move to Cove came about last-minute for McClelland as manager Jim McIntyre sought reinforcements at the back, with Morgyn Neill requesting a loan move.

“It came at short-notice,” he added. “The gaffer phoned me and said he wanted me to come train with them and see how it was.

“I came up last Tuesday and loved it. I love the way Cove play, I think it suits my game. That’s why I made the decision to come here.

“The standard in training has been top-notch. I actually got a bit of a shock in training.

“It’s a great bunch of boys who’ve made me feel very welcome.”

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