Football: Larne confirm Rooney as new first-team Manager
Irish Premiership champions Larne have confirmed Nathan Rooney has been appointed as their new First Team manager.
The 35-year-old Englishman arrives at Inver Park having enjoyed a two-and-a-half-year stint in charge of FCB Magpies in Gibraltar.
During his time in charge, the Magpies were transformed from a team at the wrong end of the table to top 3 regulars, qualifying for Europe in successive seasons.
Their most notable scalp came earlier this summer, when they defeated Derry City in the first qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League.
Prior to his time in Gibraltar, Nathan gained considerable experience in the Academies of his hometown Blackburn Rovers, as well as Fleetwood Town.
He was also on the senior coaching staff at Crawley Town and Carlisle United, where he worked as assistant manager and first team coach respectively.
A short stint followed as manager of Colne Town in the Northern Premier League, before the opportunity to take over at the Magpies in January 2022, where he remained bar a short stint in Portugal with SC Espinho.
Gary Haveron has been promoted to the role of Assistant Manager.
Speaking to the club website, Rooney said: "“I’m delighted to join such a hardworking football club with such great history.
“This has been achieved with a collective effort and an inclusive working environment which I am looking forward to becoming a part of.
“The squad of players excite me a lot and I am eager to get to work on the training ground with all the experts within the backroom team and I am hoping that all the energy that we create allows us to implement, continue and enhance all the teams’ performances which wear the Larne badge," he added.
“After seeing recent games and observing from afar you can see how hard the club works within the local community to provide a better experience for the fans and this relationship between club and fans is something which can continue to grow.
“I am really looking forward to meeting and seeing all the fans over the coming fixtures and your continued support is greatly appreciated as we enter a transitional period and a busy winter period.”
Larne’s majority shareholder Kenny Bruce has spoken of his joy at bringing Nathan to the club.
“We are delighted to have secured our number one target, with the arrival of Nathan Rooney," said Bruce, speaking to Larnefc.com
“As a senior management team, we feel Nathan possesses all of the attributes we were looking for in the person who will take us forward. He is a manager who has shown that he has a clear style of play, his enthusiasm is infectious and we believe he is a brilliant leader.
“Nathan comes to us with 17 years of coaching and management experience under his belt and we are convinced that he is the person to lead us into the next stage of our journey.
“We believe that there is still so much more we can achieve as a club and we are so pleased that Nathan has bought into that vision and is hungry to push us on.
The interim management team, led by Gary Haveron, will take charge of the team for Thursday's UEFA Conference League tie away to Olimpija Ljubljana, with Rooney officially taking over reins on Friday morning, ahead of Sunday’s Premiership game at home to Cliftonville.