Larne Confirms Nathan Rooney as New Manager

Nathan Rooney, who previously guided Magpies to an aggregate victory over Derry City in the Uefa Conference League in July, has been confirmed as the new manager for Irish Premiership champions Larne. Rooney, a 35-year-old native of Blackburn, most recently held the managerial position at the Gibraltarian club Bruno’s Magpies. Larne identified Rooney as their primary candidate after Tiernan Lynch’s departure last week to take on the role of Derry City boss. According to Larne, Rooney is scheduled to officially commence his duties on Friday. Gary Haveron will head the interim management team for Thursday’s Uefa Conference League match against Olimpija Ljubljana in an away fixture. Rooney’s inaugural game as manager will be Sunday’s home league match against Cliftonville. Larne also stated that Haveron will assume the role of Rooney’s assistant. Rooney, whose past experience includes tenures at Crawley Town and Carlisle United, stated, “I’m delighted to join such a hardworking football club with such great history.” He added, “This has been achieved with a collective effort and an inclusive working environment which I am looking forward to becoming a part of.” Kenny Bruce, Larne’s majority shareholder, commented, “We are delighted to have secured our number one target, with the arrival of Nathan Rooney.” Bruce further stated, “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.” Rooney contributed to enhancing the performance of Magpies, notably by securing their qualification for European club competition. In July, Rooney’s team eliminated Derry City from the first qualifying round of the Uefa Conference League with an aggregate score of 3-2. They subsequently lost 8-1 over two legs to FC Copenhagen in the following round. Two years prior, Magpies were defeated 4-3 on aggregate by Crusaders in the Uefa Conference League first qualifying round. Rooney’s initial match at the helm will be Sunday’s Premiership fixture against Cliftonville at Inver Park. During Lynch’s time at Larne, the Invermen secured the club’s first-ever Irish League titles, achieving consecutive Premiership crowns. Furthermore, he guided the east Antrim club to the league stages of a significant European competition, marking a historic achievement for an Irish League team. Larne currently occupies ninth position in the Premiership table, having accumulated 21 points from 13 matches. Rooney further commented: “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 concluded by saying: “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.”