Jim Magilton is convinced Kyle McClelland's best is yet to come for Cliftonville. The defender scored his first goal for the club in Saturday's 3-1 Premiership win at Carrick Rangers, a result that keeps the Reds third in the table.
Magilton, who has known the player for years, sees significant room for growth. "I've known him a long time," the Cliftonville manager told the News Letter. "I know what qualities he has and he's definitely got more in him."
McClelland's growing influence
The 24-year-old has started all six league games this season after making his move from Glenavon permanent in the summer. His goal at Taylors Avenue came in the 15th minute, cancelling out Caleb Hawthorne's debut strike for Carrick. Ben Quinn put Cliftonville ahead before half-time and Dean McMaster sealed the win in stoppage time.
That victory made it four wins from six for Magilton's side, who sit on 12 points. They are four points behind leaders Coleraine, a club McClelland knows well from a loan spell there in the 2024/25 season. The team's form has been mixed recently, with two straight wins following back-to-back losses to Dungannon Swifts and Linfield.
The context of the campaign
Cliftonville's start has been built on a solid attack, having scored 11 goals so far. Only Coleraine, with 15, have netted more. The defence has conceded six, giving them a goal difference of plus five.
The win over Carrick continued a positive trend after the 3-1 victory against Portadown the previous week. Those results have steadied the ship after the consecutive defeats. The squad's fitness and availability for the coming fixtures can be tracked on our injuries list.
Looking ahead to Linfield
Attention now turns to a key fixture in December. Cliftonville travel to face Linfield, who currently sit second, on the 19th. The last meeting between the sides ended in a 1-0 win for Linfield at Windsor Park in August. That match is part of a challenging run of games detailed on the club's fixtures schedule.
For McClelland, the challenge is to build on his early impact. Having overcome an injury that limited him to just two appearances during a loan spell at Solitude last season, he is now a fixture in Magilton's plans. The manager's public backing signals his belief that the defender can become a key figure as Cliftonville aim to close the gap at the top.
