Crawley have told new goalkeeper Yusuf Mersin he will be part of a three-way battle to be their No.1.

The 21-year-old former Liverpool player has signed a two-year deal at the Checkatrade Stadium. He joins player-coach Glenn Morris in boss Dermot Drummy’s new-look squad.

Lewis Young is also on board after signing for another year with Matt Harrold set to follow.

Drummy plans to add another young keeper - and Chelsea youngster Mitchell Beeney has been linked with Reds - and also has his eyes on a new striker.

Mersin, who stands 6ft 5in, comes from London and played youth team football for Millwall. He joined Liverpool’s academy in 2010 and played for the club’s under-18s and under-21s before moving on to top-flight Turkish outfit Kasimpasa.

Drummy said: “Yusuf has a tremendous pedigree in youth football and went from Millwall to Liverpool for a very substantial compensation fee. Things didn’t work out for him in Turkey as he would have hoped but he got some valuable experience.

“He is a London boy and is delighted to be back in England. I think he’s probably got a point to prove. He’s in superb shape physically and he’s desperate to get started.

“We are also very close to bringing in a bright prospect (in goal). The competition for places is most important.

“In my opinion what breeds the good training ethic we want is knowing you is fighting for your place all the time.

“We are starting afresh and we have got a heavy nucleus of new players.

“I want to see who competes the best in training. In the first pre-season games, all the players will be playing 45 minutes.

“That is their physical loading but then, getting to game four, I will start to nail it down. There might also be a couple of trialists we can look at in those games.”

Reds report back for fitness tests on June 29 with training itself starting on July 2.

Players will work at the Gurdwara and Community Sport Centre in Ifield Green after the club agreed a partnership with Crawley’s sikh community.

Previously the home of Edwards Sports and Social Club, the venue has been the place to meet and worship for Crawley’s 500-strong sikh community since 2012.

Reds will have use of two pitches at the venue and will change at the Checkatrade Stadium.

Drummy said: “What we need down there are decent pitches, end of story. Then all the other facilities are here at the stadium.

“We take the physio down there, there’s a Portacabin for toilets and an area to get changed. Then we come back here for all the analysis, rehab and whatever.

“If we can invest in the ground here, make it up to spec, then the training ground is, at the moment, just football pitches.

“If, three years down the line, we are really doing well and the president wants to invest and buy a training round, then great.

“We base ourselves there, like a lot of professional clubs do. But that’s not within our means right now.”

* The funeral of Ian Hands, long-standing Reds fan and former programme editor, will take place on Wednesday, June 15, at Surrey an Sussex Crematorium, Balcombe Road, Crawley (1.30pm).

Ian’s family have asked that if any of his friends wish to wear their football colours they will be welcome.

There will be a celebration of Ian’s life after his funeral in Redz Bar at the Checkatrade Stadium. Again, all are welcome.

Anyone wishing to send flowers should do so via the funeral directors, Ballard and Shortall (telephone 01293 520011).