Irish Premiership: Gary Haveron announced as Larne manager
Gary Haveron has been appointed as permanent Larne manager on a three-year deal.The 44-year-old had been in interim charge of the club since August after Nathan Rooney left the Inver Reds following the first game of the season.The east Antrim club sit third in the Premiership table after having played nine games and were unbeaten during his latest time at the helm until going down 2-0 to Dungannon Swifts at Stangmore Park on 4 October."I'm very proud and honoured to be asked to take this on," Haveron said on the Larne FC website."It's a club which is obviously very close to my heart. I feel now is the time to take the step up and take this role on."I have a great faith in the people we have at this club and ultimately football always will be about the players and I have great faith in these players."When I look at the players I have real belief that they will allow us to continue to compete for honours across the Irish League."Haveron occupied the position of head coach for much of last season as he stepped up from the assistant manager role for the second half of the term after it emerged that Rooney did not possess the necessary qualifications to lead the team in European competition. The Larne native was also interim first team coach of his home town club when Tiernan Lynch left to manage Premier Division side Derry City, before Englishman Rooney was appointed.The former Glentoran and Carrick manager has already made history when Larne boss as he was in charge when they became the first Irish League club to win a game in the league phase on the Conference League when they defeated Gent 1-0 in December 2024.The Inver Reds exited European competition to Santa Clara at the third qualifying round stage this season, but Haveron will be hoping that the east Antrim Club can lift the Gibson Cup for a third time in four years after Linfield won last season's Premiership title by a massive 22 points.Mick O'Boyle has been promoted to the role of assistant manager while Jeff Hughes, Alan Mannus, Keith O'Hara and Mark Campbell will continue in their roles as part of the backroom staff.Larne are away to Cliftonville in their next league game on Saturday.
