Johnny Russell

Johnny Russell was the youngest player in Glentoran's history to be named the club's Player of the Year. He won the award for the 2023–24 season, a few months after signing his first professional contract in November 2023.

He had joined the Glentoran academy at the age of 10 and came through the youth ranks. His first-team debut came in the Northern Ireland Football League Cup in the 2022–23 season. In the second half of that campaign he was loaned to Dundela, and he returned to sign his professional deal. Across three seasons with the club he made 59 league appearances and scored once. Glentoran did not win the league title, the Irish Cup or the League Cup in that period, so his individual award is the main honour of his time there.

On 3 January 2026 Russell moved to Crawley Town of League Two. The fee was not officially disclosed; the Belfast Telegraph reported it at about £100,000. He made his debut the next day, in a 3-0 defeat at Cheltenham Town, and had made four appearances for the club by the end of the month.

A left-footed defender, Russell has played for Northern Ireland at under-21 level and had won seven caps by January 2026.