MY BIG MOVE IS CHAMPION!

Altintop lands at Larne...

- John Lyons

IF YOU had told Baris Altintop in December that he would soon get the chance to play Champions League football, he would have thought you were crazy.

But that is the mouthwatering prospect for the man who skippered Braintree Town to National League South playoff glory at the end of last season.

While the Iron look forward to life back in Non-League’s top tier, Altintop has landed a dream move to Northern Irish champions Larne, who have the little matter of a Champions League first qualifying round tie against Latvian side FC RFS on the horizon.

Indeed, the first leg takes place in Riga on Wednesday before the sides meet again at Inver Park the following Wednesday, with the victors taking on Norwegian side FK Bodo/ Glimt.

It caps a stunning turnaround for centre-back Altintop, who left Dartford’s National League South struggles behind him shortly before Christmas to return to Braintree. And he freely admits Champions League football had never been on his radar.