Rugby League: Oldham swoop to sign a 'proper Yorkshire lad' in Kyran Johnson

Oldham RLFC

Kyran Johnson, a pacy outside back from Featherstone who describes himself as a "proper Yorkshire lad" has become Oldham RL Club's fourth new boy in the Roughyeds' bid to regain Championship status at the first attempt.

Pontefract-born Johnson, 23, has been with Rovers since he was 13 and he is just bought a house only a stone's throw from the Featherstone ground on Post Office Road.

His only other clubs, when he was a boy, were both in nearby Castleford, Lock Lane and Castleford Panthers.

Johnson said: "To sign for a club on the other side of the Pennines is a massive change for this proper Yorkshire lad, but after nine years at Rovers it was time for a change and I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to it."

His one-year deal at Oldham means he will be venturing into the unknown.

Johnson added: "I don't know a single player over there, but I will have a full pre-season to bed-in. And to move outside my comfort zone and to get used to travelling over the M62 a few times each week will be part of the experience.

"I am ready to have a crack at something new. I will be trying to better myself as a player; to gain experience in new surroundings; and to help Oldham to get straight back up to the Championship.

"Hopefully, I will be able to do things I have not been able to do at Featherstone.

"It will be a completely new challenge for me, but I have played all my rugby near home since I started at Lock Lane as a seven-year-old and I am really excited by this fresh start."

Roughyeds have big hopes for Johnson, whom they describe as "exciting and pacy".

He has scored 11 tries and kicked 23 goals in 33 senior appearances for Rovers, for whom he signed junior scholarship forms at the age of 13.

He continued to play for Panthers until he was 16 when he signed the forms that made him a fully-fledged Rovers player.

He made nine senior appearances in his debut season of 2015, another 15 in 2016 and nine more last season, plus eight for Hunslet while out on loan.

Head coach Scott Naylor said: "Kyran has been part of a squad that has been in the top three or four of the Championship for the last few seasons.

"He has proved he can play at that level and for years he has been in a good environment at Rovers.

"In my opinion, he wasn't given enough senior games and we saw an opportunity to sign a quality lad who is hungry to succeed at Oldham and who wants to prove to himself and to others that he is good enough.

"We are delighted to sign him and to give him a platform to play on a regular basis.

"He is a quality lad who is multi-skilled and he has everything he needs to become a top-class player.

"It is an exciting signing for our club and both Pete (assistant coach Peter Carey) and I are looking forward to working with him."

Oldham hope to announce another back-division signing next week.