Attacking midfielder Francis Turley has completed a deadline day move to join Dumbarton on loan from Premiership champions Celtic until January.
The 20-year-old, who is a Northern Ireland U21 international, signed a four year deal at Celtic Park in the summer of 2024 – and has already made his debut for the Hoops, against St Mirren in 2024 as a teenager.
Initially joining the club after catching the eye of scouts during his time with Glentoran, the midfielder made the move to Glasgow in the summer of 2022.
After spending a year with Celtic’s Under-18s, which also saw him play a part in lifting the Scottish Youth Cup at Hampden Park, he made the step-up to the B team – and has more than 70 games in the Lowland League under his belt.
Francis has been training with Martin O’Neill’s first-team squad regularly for the past two seasons – featuring in friendly matches – and spent the second-half of last season on loan at Ayr United in the Championship.
Now he’ll line-up at The Rock – sponsored by Marbill Coaches, and goes straight into the squad for Saturday’s game with Forfar Athletic.
Boss Frank McKeown said: “Francis is a very creative midfielder who is rated very highly at Celtic so we’re delighted to bring him to the club. He’s a player who likes to create chances and score goals and we know our fans will enjoy watching him.
“This season he’s spent a lot of time training with Celtic’s first-team and on the fringes of their squad, but they’ve decided it would be best for his development if he got the experience of first team football every week in the SPFL. And we’re delighted to be trusted with helping him at the next stage of his career.
“It’s been a very busy summer window, but I’m pleased with the balance, options and – above all else – characters we have in our ranks. There is now a lot of competition for places all over the park and that will help to drive performances throughout the squad.
“We are in a far better place than we were five or six weeks ago with the squad and it’s now down to us to continue the good run we are on. That’s four wins from the last six games however we aren’t getting carried away. There’s lots of work to be done behind the scenes and on the pitch.
“Every day we are all looking at the next building block. What can we do to add to the next bit of foundation to continue the good work over the last 12-15 months. All this work will continue our sustainable progression as a football club.
“My thanks goes to everyone at Celtic, as well as everyone here at Dumbarton, who worked right up until the last minute to get this deal over the line. We’re looking forward to working with Francis over the coming months.”
Welcome to The Rock, Francis!
Join us for the new campaign
Join Francis in getting on board for the 2026/27 campaign. Season tickets are still on sale.
Our Pass it On campaign also returns for 2026, where you can donate a season ticket to a local youngster for just £30.
Know someone turning 7 this year? Our Gen7 programme gives them and an adult free access to league matches for a full calendar year from their seventh birthday.
Sponsor Francis’ kit this season
Want to sponsor Francis’ kit for the campaign, and receive his signed, match-worn shirt at the end of the season? Both his home and away kit are available to sponsor for £200. Email Jordan.McKerry@Dumbartonfc.co.uk to secure it!