Eastleigh Football Club are delighted to announce the loan signing of midfielder, JJ McKiernan, from Watford FC.

The young, attacking midfielder has joined the Spitfires on a short-term loan having played for Watford Under 18s and the Under 23s since joining them in 2018. He has also trained with the first team during his time in Hertfordshire.

McKiernan earnt himself a call-up to the Northern Ireland Under-19s team before making his Under-21s debut later that year in October.

The Northern Ireland youth international spent the end of last season on loan at Bohemian FC.

When asked about what he has learnt from his time at Watford, JJ McKiernan said:

“I’ve played with a lot of experienced players, guys that have won the World Cup, guys that have won the Premier League. It’s good to pick up little bits from all sorts of players that I play with, especially players who play in my position.”

When asked about what he feels he can bring to the team during his time at Eastleigh, McKiernan replied:

“I hope to bring a lot of energy and willingness to get around the pitch, help us score goals and get into attacking areas. I’m hoping to bring some of the experience gained from playing with World Cup and Premier League winners and hopefully help us get promoted.”