SCOTTISH Premier League experienced player Paul George is in the running to make his debut with Ballarat Red Devils in the National Premier Leagues Victoria on Sunday.
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Head coach James Robinson said while the Reds were keen to have the new signing on the pitch as soon as possible, George’s welfare would come first.
The 22-year-old only arrived in Australia on Wednesday. Robinson said as long as George had fully recovered from the long flight, and final paperwork was in place, he would play against Kingston in Ballarat.
George completes the McDonald’s Reds overseas player quota, which is set at two.
The Northern Irelander said he had long had a desire to play in the United States or Australia, and had been delighted when the opportunity came up to play in Ballarat.
Robinson said he had been looking to add to the Reds’ forward half stocks and had sourced George through a contact at Celtic in the SPL.
“We’re always wanting to add quality and he provides this.”
From Belfast, George joined Celtic as a 13-year-old and spent seven years there – representing Northern Ireland as an under-16 and under-17, and Republic of Ireland as an under-17 and under-19.
He made his Scottish Premier League firsts debut with Celtic as a 17-year-old, but unfortunately only weeks later suffered a double leg fracture.
George left Celtic at the end of the 2014-15 season and only a month ago completed a season with Cliftonville in the Northern Ireland Football League.