Talented Tyrone teenager seals Derby County move after impressive youth career

County Tyrone teenager Sean Corry is the latest young footballer to achieve his dream of sealing a move across the water. The 16-year-old, who has been part of Ballinamallard United's Youth Academy since he was four years old has signed a two-year deal at Derby County.

The club are rightly proud of the forward's achievements saying it is just rewards for all his hard work down the years. The Trillick native has been attracting the attention of clubs in England over the last few years.

Corry first caught the eye of Derby after being named Man of the Match against England whilst playing for Northern Ireland Under-15s. He further enhanced his reputation with the Rams by netting a first half hat-trick while guesting for them against Burton Albion.

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More impressive performances whilst playing for County Tyrone in the SuperCupNI brought him to the attention of Manchester United. For Corry though Derby County was the place he wanted to be.

Mark Emerson, who has coached the talented teenager down the years at Ballinamallard, hailed the young striker's attributes. "As a four-year-old at our Mini Soccer Centre you could obviously see that he had a bit of talent and an eye for goal," he said.

"But to sustain that over a long period of time is the real challenge and it takes a lot of hard work, dedication and a slice of luck when he also had to balance his time at various sports. Sean was always a goal scorer and that trait never left him even though he played in various positions across the midfield and forward line which in turn has aided his overall development.

"His work rate and attitude set him apart from others. Sean was part of a team that not only won the Barcelona Cup where he was top scorer but also winning the Foyle Cup was a tremendous memory for him and his team mates. Sean has just gone from strength to strength and we all hope that continues for him at Derby County.’’

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