Craig Farquhar

Craig Farquhar joined Palace from Larne FC in January 2024.

Farquhar came through the ranks at his hometown club Ballymena United and was captain of their Under-20s side before progressing to the first-team.

He signed his first professional contract with the Sky Blues at the age of 18 and moved on loan to second-tier side Dundela FC, where he made 12 appearances and scored two goals in 2021/22.

In 2022/23, Farquhar made 14 appearances for Ballymena United and scored twice, including a header in the Irish Cup semi-final against Larne to send his side through to the final.

The defender then eventually joined Larne in the summer of 2023 and went on to make 27 appearances in all competitions in the first half of 2023/24, including the Champions League qualifiers, before making the move to south London.

Upon putting pen to paper on his new deal, Farquhar said: “I’m delighted to be here, it’s such a big club. I’m glad to get everything over the line and I can't wait to get started.”

Academy Director Gary Issott also added: “Craig is a player that the club’s watched over a long period of time.

“He’s a young centre-half that’s experienced both first-team and European football early in his career and he has all the attributes to play at the highest levels in the game.

“Craig joins our Under-21s and will add competition in the defensive part of the pitch.”

He made his debut for the U21s away at Ipswich Town, in the Premier League Cup, and kept a clean sheet in a 1-0 win to help the side into the next round.

Farquhar scored his first goal in red and blue in the Premier League Cup round of 16 clash against Leicester City in March 2024, heading in from close range to open the scoring in a 3-2 victory.

He scored his first goal for Northern Ireland U21s in March 2024, heading in a Justin Devenny corner in a 2-1 win over Serbia in their 2025 UEFA U21 European Championship qualifier.

The centre-back finished his first half-season in red and blue with 14 appearances in total, helping the side to victory in the Premier League International Cup final against Jong PSV.