Nottingham Forest snap up highly-rated Crusaders teenager Joel Thompson

Northern Ireland teenager Joel Thompson is set to be unveiled as a Nottingham Forest player after agreeing a long term contract with the Premiership new-boys.

The versatile midfielder, who has starred for Northern Ireland at Under-17 level, had been on the radar of several other English clubs including Hull City.

But Forest were determined to seal a deal for the talented 16-year-old who made his Irish League debut with Crusaders 14 months ago.

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Thompson will be the latest Northern Irish acquisition at Forest where Dale Taylor, Aaron Donnelly and Jamie McDonnell are already making impressive inroads.

Left-back Donnelly is currently training with Steve Cooper’s first team squad in Spain while it is understood striker Taylor and midfielder McDonnell are both closing in on new contracts.

McDonnell and Taylor, who made his Northern Ireland debut in November, helped Forest’s U18s reach last season’s FA Youth Cup final, losing 3-1 to Manchester United at a packed Old Trafford.

Thompson, who will join up with Forest's U18 academy, was only 15 when he made his Crusaders debut off the bench in a 2-0 defeat to Glentoran on May 29, 2021.

He went on to make five more appearances for the Shore Road men last season, making his full debut in a 4-2 win over Dungannon Swifts at Stangmore Park in March.

He has also been capped by Northern Ireland at Under-17 level, making his debut for Gerard Lyttle’s side in a 3-0 win over Wales last summer.