Derry City's Niall McGinn looks set to follow Paddy McCourt to Celtic. The winger is understood to have agreed a three-and-a-half-year deal with the Glasgow giants and will have a medical next week.

Swansea were thought to be favourites to land McGinn, who was recently named young player of the year by the Professional Footballers' Association of Ireland, days before he made his debut for Northern Ireland against Hungary.

However, the Parkhead club beat off the competition from the Welsh club as well as Birmingham, Ipswich and Derby, who had also showed interest in the former Dungannon Swifts player.

McGinn, who will not be able to play for Celtic until January 1st, will hope to make more of an impression at Parkhead than McCourt who has so far struggled to pin down a first-team spot.

However, McGinn has already made clear he does not expect to be stuck in the reserves at Celtic Park.

Speaking to PA Sport last month when Celtic's interest first became clear, he said: "Celtic are obviously a big club and it is a great honour to discover that they are looking at me.

"But I don't want reserve football. I need to be playing regularly to keep me in the Northern Ireland squad. I was a Manchester United fan as a boy but Celtic were my Scottish team.

"But there is no point leaving Derry City, where I am getting first-team football, to play in the reserves in Scotland, or for that matter, in England."