Larne new boy Leroy Millar issues a message of thanks to Ballymena United

Leroy Millar has issued a message of thanks to his hometown club after swapping Ballymena United for Larne on Thursday night.

The 26-year-old, who had been strongly linked with a move to Inver Park since January, will join Tiernan Lynch’s men at the expiry of his contract in the summer.

Millar, who hails from the village of Cullybackey on the outskirts of Ballymena, made his debut for the Sky Blues in 2013 and played almost 250 times for the Showgrounds club.

Larne seal high-profile signing of Ballymena United captain Leroy Millar

The dynamic midfielder captained David Jeffrey’s men in last month’s agonising Irish Cup final defeat to Crusaders and was part of the first Ballymena team to lift the League Cup in 2017.

He also helped the Braidmen progress in European competition for the first time in the club’s history in 2019, scoring in a 2-0 aggregate win over NSI Runavik of the Faroe Islands.

On Instagram, Millar said he would be “forever grateful to play for and captain my hometown club”.

He added: “I want to say a massive thank you to all the supporters over the past eight years.

“I would also like to thank all the backroom staff, board members and all the players I've played with throughout the years for making my time at Ballymena special.

“I take with me the best memories from my time at the club.

“I've had a lot of proud moments from winning the League Cup, playing in Europe and even leading the team out in an Irish Cup final, which I will always be extremely grateful for.

“Lastly, I'd like to give a big thank you to David (Jeffrey) and Bryan (McLaughlin), for all they have done for me since coming to the club, which I will always be thankful for.

“Thank you for the memories, Sky Blues.”

Larne boss Lynch said