Northern Ireland under-21 international Ollie Webber has left Crystal Palace to sign for his home town club Portsmouth for an undisclosed fee.
The 21-year-old was born on the South Coast in 2000, but he left the area with his mum Emma, who hails from Newtownards, at eight years of age to move to Comber.
Webber, who has won three caps at under-21 level, will act as back-up to Republic of Ireland international Gavin Bazunu who is currently on loan at Fratton Park from Manchester City.
“I’m excited to get started here, train in a first team environment every day and try to push Gavin.” Webber told the Pompey website.
“He’s got experience of playing games – both here and at international level – and I can learn a lot from him.
“I’ve also grown a lot from my time at Crystal Palace and working alongside keepers like Vicente Guaita and Jack Butland,” added the former Glentoran player.
“I’m very comfortable with the ball at my feet. That is important in the modern game, while I also feel I’m good at keeping it out of the net!”
Talking about his latest acquisition Portsmouth manager Danny Crowley said: “He’s had a great education at Crystal Palace and as well as being a good shot-stopper, is comfortable with the ball at his feet and has excellent distribution skills.
“Ollie has come in and is a young keeper who wants to improve every single day. We like to recruit players who have a burning ambition to get better.”