We are delighted to announce Nathan Rooney has been appointed as our new senior men’s first team manager.
The 35-year-old Englishman arrives at Inver Park having enjoyed a two-and-a-half-year spell in charge of FCB Magpies in Gibraltar.
During his time as manager, 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 brief spell in Portugal with SC Espinho.
As part of Nathan’s arrival, Gary Haveron will continue at the club and has been promoted to the role of assistant manager.
Larne’s majority shareholder Kenny Bruce has spoken of his joy at bringing Nathan to the club. He said:
“We are delighted to have secured our number one target, with the arrival of Nathan Rooney.
“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.”
With a County Antrim Shield final in the new year, the second half of our UEFA Conferene League campaign, League Cup and Premiership campaign still to look forward to, chairman Gareth Clements explained what made Nathan the club’s number one choice. He added:
“We conducted comprehensive due diligence and Nathan emerged as the outstanding candidate, demonstrating a clear vision that aligns perfectly with our club’s values and long-term aspirations.
“His CV has a real blend of coaching and managerial experience from Academy to Senior level, this combined with an unwavering ambition to take our club forward, made this appointment a natural fit.
“Nathan shares our commitment to excellence both on and off the pitch and brings experience in developing players while building winning teams. His innovative approach and strategic mindset will be invaluable as we enter this exciting new chapter.
“We are confident that under his leadership, we will continue to grow, compete at the highest level, and deliver the success our loyal supporters deserve.”
The interim management team, led by Gary Haveron, will take charge of the team for our UEFA Conference League tie away to Olimpija Ljubljana on Thursday evening, with Nathan officially taking over reins on Friday morning, ahead of Sunday’s Premiership game at home to Cliftonville.
The new boss is delighted to arrive at Inver Park and is looking forward to the job in hand.
“I’m delighted to join such a hardworking football club with such great history,” he said.
“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 we create allows us to implement, continue and enhance all the teams’ performances which wear the Larne badge.
“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.”
Photo: FCB Magpies
