Former Lincoln City trialist Zach Nolan is reportedly attracting interest from Football League and Scottish Premiership clubs, more than a year after spending pre-season with the Imps.
According to Football Insider, clubs in League One, League Two and Scotland’s top flight are considering moves for the 21-year-old, who joined The New Saints in June. The left-back has made ten appearances for the Welsh club, including four starts, with scouts reportedly tracking his progress.
We confirmed Nolan was training with City in July 2025, when he was a teenager at Bray Wanderers. He also joined our pre-season camp in Portugal, giving the coaching staff an extended opportunity to assess him, although his time with us did not lead to a permanent move.
At that stage, Nolan had made 32 league appearances for Bray during the previous season, with 37 outings across all competitions. There was also interest from Atalanta, Monza and Brescia, but he subsequently joined Ballymena United before moving to TNS this summer. When announcing his arrival, the Welsh club described him as capable of playing at left-back, wing-back or on the left of a back three, adding another potential role to the positions he was being considered for during his Lincoln trial.
TNS had also taken a close look before committing to a deal. Their head coach, Craig Harrison, revealed Nolan had trained with them for a week during the previous season, with the club continuing to monitor him after being unable to complete a move at that point. Harrison said:
“He’s got a good left foot, gets up and down the pitch, he’s athletic, and his attitude is fantastic.”
Zach Nolan Departs
Ballymena United can confirm that defender Zach Nolan has left the Club following the mutual termination of his contract.
We would like to thank Zach for his professionalism and contribution during his short time at The Showgrounds and wish him every success for the future
— Ballymena United FC (@BallymenaUnited) February 2, 2026
The latest report, undoubtedly agent-driven given the source and vagueness of the chasing clubs, compares Nolan with Trai Hume, another former Ballymena defender whose name will be familiar to City supporters. We came close to signing Hume, only for Sunderland to hijack the deal, with the defender leaving our training ground before the move could be completed. He’s since gone on to become a fine Premier League full-back.
Football Insider claims Nolan’s figures compare favourably with Hume’s before his move, including defensive duels, interceptions and dribbling. That adds another Imps connection to the story, with both players having spent time at the club without signing.
City are not named among the clubs pursuing him in the latest report, but a move to League One or League Two would bring the former Sincil Bank trialist into the EFL after spells in Ireland, Northern Ireland and Wales.
Comments Welcome!