Colm McLaughlin admits he did not have to think twice about committing to Ballinamallard for the upcoming season.

The 27 year old will start his third stint at Ferney Park when pre-season starts at the end of June, and he cannot wait to pull on the Mallard’s blue shirt once again.

“I’ve missed the club and I didn’t take much persuading to be honest,” he said.

“Harry (McConkey) contacted me two weeks ago. He text me to see if I would like to chat, and I called him the next day. We spoke on the phone and then I met him then last Thursday for a chat.

“I know everything about the club, and I have worked with Harry before, so I didn’t take much persuading.

“There are a few Derry boys in around the club now as well that I would have played with before, so I was more than happy to join up.”

Colm first joined Ballinamallard on loan from Sligo Rovers in January 2013, but only made one first team appearance before moving on to Institute.

Manager Whitey Anderson then brought him back for the start of the 2014/15 season, and the defender quickly became one of the first names on the team sheet, winning the manager’s player of the year award at the end of the season.

Despite injury ruling Colm out of action for a full year, he still managed to rack up over 100 appearances for the Mallards before he moved to Institute following Ballinamallard’s relegation from the top flight in 2018.

After three years away he has now returned, and he is in no doubt about the team’s ambitions for the upcoming season.

“It has to be promotion,” he declared.

“The facilities at Ballinamallard are second to none. I had spoken to a few of the Derry boys to say I was coming back, and they couldn’t believe how good it was down there, the standard of the pitch and the 4G beside it.

“Some Premiership clubs struggle to have facilities like that. The fan base is a local, close knit community, and a very strong fan base, and definitely the Premiership has to be in everyone’s mind.”

The versatile defender played both left back and centre back in his last spell at the club, and he has already told the manager that he is prepared to be adaptable again.

“I can play between centre back and left back, and I am more than comfortable to do a job in either position,” he said. “Harry and I did speak about that, and I have told him I would do a job in either. Ideally, I have played a lot of my career as a left back but I would happily slot in at centre back as well.”

Colm took a break from football once it became clear that Covid restrictions would have a lasting effect on the previous season, but he has maintained his fitness and cannot wait to join up with his new teammates at the end of the month.

“I feel like I am fit, but aerobically fit and match fit are different business,” he admitted.

“Everyone will be doing something to get their own fitness and come back in good shape. I enjoy pre-season, and I enjoy the training, and I am definitely looking forward to it.”