Ballymena United's manager Oran Kearney has announced the departure of eight players from the club, with the possibility of that number rising to 12. Defenders Stephen O'Donnell and former Northern Ireland international Daniel Lafferty, midfielders Aaron Jarvis and ex-Scotland international Dylan McGeouch, plus goalkeeper Brad Wade have not been offered renewed terms and will leave the club. Alex Gawne, Caolan Loughran and Shea McAuley - who were out on loan this season - will also leave at the end of their contracts. Kearney took over at the Ballymena Showgrounds in December following the departure of Jim Ervin and guided the club to a ninth-place finish in this season's Irish Premiership. The departures represent the first phase of his summer rebuild at the club. And with Dean Ebbe, Ali Gould, Ryan McNickle and Jack O'Reilly made available for transfer, it's clear that Kearney is looking to shake things up. But what prompted these changes? So far, the club has not commented on the reasons behind the player exits. Ballymena United's fans will be eager to see how the team shapes up for the new season. The club's rebuild is already underway, with Kearney working to bring in new players. As the summer transfer window heats up, Ballymena United's supporters will be watching with interest to see who will be joining the team. With the Irish Premiership set to kick off soon, Kearney will be looking to get his squad in order. The manager has a big task ahead of him, but he's already shown his ability to get results, guiding the team to a ninth-place finish in his first season in charge.