Midfielder Dominic Corness has joined Welsh champions The New Saints after a spell on loan at Gillingham and his Liverpool exit.
The New Saints won the Cymru Premier Division title last season and Corness is now set to feature in their UEFA Champions League qualifying matches, which take place early next month.
Corness will be heading to the Welsh side with some valuable league experience under his belt.
He didn’t have the kind of spell at the Gills that he might have hoped for, with his game time limited, but it was a move that has promoted a big switch for the youngster, joining a new club despite having an option to stay at Liverpool.
The 22-year-old has been with Liverpool since the age of five and came to the Gills in February with quite a reputation, with a training-ground nickname of ‘The Wand’.
Gills fans got to see little of that, however, in the six appearances that he made.
Four of those games came during the middle of John Coleman’s stint as boss – a big Liverpool fan himself. But after starting games against Walsall, Crewe and Carlisle, he wasn’t used again until late in the season as new manager Gareth Ainsworth played him in the final two matches.
Corness came off the bench in a home draw against Swindon Town and was named in the starting eleven at Port Vale on the final weekend.
His Liverpool contract expires at the end of June and he’ll then move to the Oswestry-based club.
Corness had played for Liverpool’s under-21s and was around the senior set-up under Jurgen Klopp, playing in friendly matches against Lyon and AC Milan in 2022 during the club’s Dubai Super Cup involvement.
He played in a trio of EFL Trophy games for Liverpool last season before his move to the Gills and prior to that also spent time on loan at Swiss Super League side Yverdon-Sport.
Following his move, Corness said: “I’m absolutely delighted to have signed for The New Saints.
“It’s a fantastic club with a great history of success, and I’m really proud to be joining.
“From the moment I heard about the opportunity, I knew it was the right move for me. I can’t wait to meet the lads, get started with training, and do everything I can to help the team achieve its goals this season.”
The New Saints face North Macedonian side Shkendija in a UEFA Champions League qualifier over two legs.
