Northern Irish side Crusaders have confirmed the loan signing of Blues central defender Cameron Stewart until the end of the season, as revealed by TWTD yesterday.

Stewart, 19, signed a new two-year contract with the Blues last summer when he said he hoped to get a move out on loan to gain senior experience.

“I am delighted,” Stewart told the Crusaders official website. “I came into training last week and all the boys where top class so I am really happy to get it over the line.

“I have been playing for Ipswich now for three and a half years and I was looking a loan and I thought Crusaders was the perfect match for me.

“I need men’s football to try and break into the first team at Ipswich, so that's what I really am trying to do here. I hope to get into the team as soon as possible and making an impression.”

Manager Stephen Baxter added: “We are thrilled and delighted that we can attract such talent to Crusaders. Cameron has been at Ipswich for a few years now and he has been outstanding.

“We have been talking to their head of academy recruitment and he comes across with huge potential.

“He has been training around their first team in his first couple of years over at Ipswich and they see that he needs to get out to get the experience of men’s football.

“His development has been well mapped out, he is a really top player and they are looking to get that experience behind him so they can develop him even further.

“They actually chose Crusaders as well, which is a big feather in our cap that we can attract a player of this stature and magnitude, so we hope he can really do well and he will be given the platform and opportunity to do that.”

Capped by Northern Ireland at U16, U17 and U19 levels and having been called up to the U21s earlier this season, Ballymena-born Stewart is yet to make a senior appearance for Town having joined the academy from Linfield in the summer of 2019.

Belfast-based Crusaders are currently fourth in the Danske Bank Premiership.

Photo: TWTD

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