Darren Murphy determined to make leap of faith pay off at Finn Harps

Darren Murphy says a persuasive phone call, out of the blue, from Dave Rogers came at just the right time when he agreed to come on board as Finn Harps assistant boss. 

Murphy had taken a self imposed sabbatical from the game back in 2020, stepping away as first team coach at Linfield. His father Bertie had been diagnosed with dementia and the blow of that news took such a serious toll that his mental health also suffered.

But the former Blues, Glenavon and Dungannon Swifts player says lockdown and the Covid 19 pandemic forced him to press the reset button. Physically and mentally, he set about making some real changes.  

Recharged and refreshed, he joined up with Crusaders as first team coach back in March 2021. But having already spurned Rogers’ advances in the past, Murphy decided the time was finally right to step into the dugout alongside his close friend.  

“I’m excited,” he said. “It’s a challenge I’m really looking forward to. I’ve known Dave a long time - 15 years. It goes right back to our playing days. It all really stemmed from there. We would have bounced ideas off each other over the years. 

“He tried to coax me to go to America with him when he went to Arizona. It just wasn’t right for me at the time. I’d a really good position with the IFA. I was an elite performance coach, working the U-19s and U-17s. 

“When he came back to Nottingham Forest, I’d taken a wee break from the game. Completely out of the blue then, a wee while back, I got a call from Dave. I was out walking the dog at the time. But he said he might be coming on board with Harps and would I be interested in coming with him? 

“He said he’d already had some great conversations with Ian Harkin and the likes of Kevin McHugh and they’d really bought into what he wanted to do. Everyone knows the reasons why I took a wee break from the game - the personal issues. 

“I’d been quite open and honest about all of that at the time. We all have our struggles, everyone. So I’d a decision to make. I’d got to a place where I finally realised the important things in life. Football is still a huge part of my life but that family and work balance, I finally have that. 

“But meeting the people at Harps, I felt really at ease. I just felt it was the right environment for me to step back into football at that level. I’m 48 years of age - I’d been in the Irish League, in some capacity or another, since I was 16. 

“But to be finally crossing over to the League of Ireland, I’m so grateful it’s with Finn Harps”. 

Boss Rogers last week confirmed that Barry McNamee, like Conor Tourish, had declined the offer of a new contract.

Indeed, only Ryan Rainey from the 2022 squad has officially been retained. But, this time out, like all new signings, pen has been put to paper there on a two-year deal instead of one. 

And Murray says Harps are intent on changing the way they do business, moving forward, to guard against wholesale drop offs at the end of every season. 

“You have to have a long term vision,” he added. “There has to be a bigger picture. Harps are effectively building a brand new squad once again. And look, no one has more admiration for the likes of Barry McNamee and Conor Tourish - who have decided to put their family first - than me. 

“I certainly get it, for the reasons I’ve already explained. They’ve made so many sacrifices over the years, I’m sure, and for their own reasons now they’ve decided they are going to be around home more. That’s not an easy decision - it’s a very brave one in fact so I’ve so much admiration for those lads”. 

He added: “I think it’s important that every season we’re promoting three or four lads into that first-team environment. Even if they aren’t in the environment of playing right away, they are at least in the environment of training. There has to be an end goal and something to aim for. 

“People often talk about pathway and identity, but to have that the first team manager has to be known to the young players, the coaches and the people in and around the football club. You have to have that visible presence, I feel. 

“Kevin McHugh, Academy Director, had a conference at ATU Donegal last week and I went and spoke at that. Dave, the Sunday previous, was down with the Academy actually working with the players on the training pitch in the morning.   

“All academy coaches are welcome at senior sessions also. As Dave has already said, for him to be accepted - and demand more from people on and off the pitch - he has to be seen to be all in as well.  That will only help build that togetherness much quicker”.  

Finn Harps open their SSE Airtricity League First Division campaign with a home clash against Galway on Friday, February 17.