Former Newcastle United youngster becomes South Shields' first summer signing

Heaney arrives fresh from winning promotion from the Pitching In Northern Premier League with Buxton, where he played an important role in the latter stages of the season as the Bucks sealed the league title.

The attacking midfielder was on loan at Buxton from York City, where he played 20 times in the first half of last season.

A player who represented both England and Scotland at junior levels, Heaney came through the Newcastle United Academy and has also had spells with Whitby Town, Newcastle Benfield, West Auckland Town and Icelandic side Grindavík.

The 23-year-old said: “I’m delighted it is done and very excited to be here.

“I’m pleased to have my future sorted very early in the summer and now it’s time to get ready for pre-season.

“This is a massive club at this level, especially when you look at the ground and the training ground, which are amazing.

“Myself and the club want to achieve the same thing, which is to win the league, and I can’t wait to get started.”

South Shields manager Kevin Phillips said: “I’m absolutely delighted to welcome Mackenzie Heaney as our first signing.

“He is a player who I firmly believe will excite our fans and I’m thoroughly looking forward to working with him.

“Technically, he is a very impressive player and he is also a dead ball specialist who has a great ability to score goals.

“Mackenzie is incredibly talented and is a young player who I am sure will develop further in the years to come.

“He will be the first of many new players to join us in the coming weeks, which we hope will whet the appetite of our fans ahead of pre-season.”

You can watch Mackenzie and his new team-mates in every home league match of the 2022-23 season by purchasing a season ticket.

Season tickets go on general sale from www.southshieldsfc.co.uk at 12pm on Friday, and can also be purchased in person or by calling 0191 454 7800 between 10am and 4pm on weekdays.