It's official! Proud moment for everyone who knew and loved Derry City captain Ryan McBride as signs go up on Brandywell

The new Ryan McBride signage being erected this week.

Derry City and Strabane District Council officially installed a new legend on the back of the Mark Farren Stand on the Lone Moor Road, declaring to all-comers that you are not entering 'The Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium.'

The totemic centre-half famously grew up in the shade of the Brandywell Stadium and served his hometown club with distinction until his sudden death at the age of just 27 three years ago this month.

The Ryan McBride Foundation, a memorial charity set up in the wake of his tragic passing, successfully campaigned for the ground to be renamed in his honour, which it has been since 2018.

The Council put up the long-awaited signs on Wednesday.

The organisation said the erection of the new signage was "a great moment of pride" for everyone who knew and loved Ryan.

"It has been the culmination of a couple of years work by a number of people. Thank you to everyone and in particular Conor Loughrey and Patricia Logue who got this initiative off the ground.

"Thank you to DCSDC who have worked with us on this and we look forward to getting the internal signage for Ryan and Mark up inside the ground. The Council has liaised with Ryan and Mark's families to agree signage and a third party contractor has been briefed so hopefully it will follow soon.

"This season would have been Ryan's testimonial year with the club so this is a perfect way to mark it," the foundation said.

The late Derry City legend Ryan McBride.

Sinn Féin Councillor Patricia Logue, Ryan's aunt, said: “This is great news.

“Everyone in our city was deeply touched with the untimely death of Ryan.

“It had a deep impact on his family, the Brandywell community, the wider city and those connected to Derry City Football Club and sport in general across Ireland.

"His life on and off the field has left a great legacy in our city and the club and its players will continue to draw inspiration from him for many years to come.

"Given the fact that the Brandywell Stadium underwent major redevelopment to turn it into a state of the art modern facility it is fitting that his legacy should live on through the stadium and club he loved.

"In order to celebrate his legacy, back in 2018 I brought forward a motion to Derry and Strabane District Council to formally rename the redeveloped stadium in honour of Ryan McBride. We did so at the request of the Ryan McBride Foundation which was established following his untimely death to ensure his legacy lives on.

“I would like to pay tribute to Ryan’s family ,the Brandywell community ,the Foundation and everyone who campaigned to ensure that we got this proposal across the line."