Northern Ireland under-21 full-back Josh Doherty joins Crawley Town from Ards

Northern Ireland under-21 full-back Josh Doherty has signed for English League One side Crawley Town after leaving Ards.

The 21-year-old has signed for the West Sussex club on an initial one-year deal with an option of an extra year.

Newtownards native Doherty signed for the NIFL Premiership side late last season following his release by Leyton Orient.

Doherty, who has played for Northern Ireland through all the age grades, played underage football for Watford, where he featured for the under-21s under current Crawley boss Harry Kewell.

He made one senior appearance for the Hornets against Huddersfield Town in a Championship gam in 2014 but was released upon expiry of his contract in the summer of 2016

"He's someone I know well from my time at Watford,” Kewell told Crawley's official website.

“He's young, hungry and has both international and domestic experience so he's a good addition to our squad."