Coleraine teenager Bobby Jack McAleese is set to mark his 17th birthday with a move to Championship club Nottingham Forest.
McAleese, who turned 17 on Friday, has been on the radar of the City Ground club and a cross channel move is expected in the coming days.
The technically gifted midfielder, who lives near the Coleraine Showgrounds, was called into the Northern Ireland U17 set-up earlier this season.
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He has since made three appearances for Gerard Lyttle's U17s, featuring in Euro qualifiers against Scotland, Italy and Albania.
McAleese’s arrival at Forest would bolster an already healthy Northern Ireland contingent currently learning their trade with the Midlands club.
The likes of striker Dale Taylor, who made his senior international debut in November, and Jamie McDonnell are already on the books of the Championship outfit.
Taylor and McDonnell have starred for the club's U23s and also helped Forest U18s reach the semi-finals of this season’s FA Youth Cup with midfielder McDonnell wearing the captain’s armband.
Versatile defender Aaron Donnelly, 18, who has won eight caps with Northern Ireland U21s, has also been a regular for Forest’s U23s this season.
Earlier this season, Coleraine youth coach Martin Smith described McAleese as "one of the best young midfield players in the country with a bright future in the game".
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