Josh Doherty will become South Shields’ sixth summer signing, subject to receiving FA and international clearance.
Josh Doherty was born on March 15th, 1996 in the town of Newtownards, Northern Ireland
He was in the youth system of Northern Irish side Ards until signing a scholarship with Watford as a 16-year-old in 2012
Near the end of his two-year scholarship, Doherty made his debut for the Hornets in a Championship match against Huddersfield Town in May 2014
Just days later, he signed his first professional contract with Watford, where he would stay for a further two years
Doherty’s deal at Vicarage Road ended in the summer of 2016, when he joined League Two club Leyton Orient
During this time, Doherty was also progressing in Northern Ireland’s youth set-up. He represented his country at Under-17, Under-19 and Under-21 level
He spent just over six months at Leyton Orient, which included a loan spell with Altrincham
After his departure by mutual consent, Doherty returned to Northern Ireland to rejoin hometown club Ards on a short-term deal
A versatile left-footed player, he has played at left midfield, left-back and central midfield
Doherty came back to England after his stint with Ards as he signed for Crawley Town, where he was initially managed by Harry Kewell, his former Watford youth coach
It was at Crawley that Doherty built up the bulk of his senior experience, making just short of 100 appearances in a three-and-a-half-year spell
The last season of his time at Crawley featured a loan period at Colchester United, before Doherty had a short stint in the National League with Barnet in the 2021-22 campaign
In January 2022, Doherty signed a deal until the end of the season with NIFL Premiership club Portadown
He made 15 appearances for Portadown last season, helping the club avoid relegation from the top division via the play-offs
Doherty now returns to England with South Shields as he begins a new challenge in his career
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