Ciaron Harkin nearing return to full fitness after injury frustration

Ciaron Harkin could yet play a part in Derry City’s season, with the midfielder revealing he is nearing a return to full fitness.

Speaking at the FIFA 23 SSE Airtricity Cover launch in Dublin at the weekend, Harkin revealed that the end of his injury nightmare is now in sight after almost seven months on the sidelines. The 26-year-old played in just two games this season – the opening day draw at Dundalk, and the dramatic home win over Shamrock Rovers at the end of February, where he sustained an anterior cruciate ligament rupture, ruling him out for the long term. He has since had to watch on as his team mates have pushed Rovers all the way and made it to the semi-finals of the FAI Cup.

“It has obviously been frustrating,” he said. “It’s the first injury I’ve ever had and it’s the worst one I could have gotten. But it’s done now and I’ve just been working hard to get back on the pitch. Hopefully I’m not too long away now from getting back in and playing.

“I took it on the chin when it happened, I got through the surgery and straight back at it and I’ve been working hard over the last six months. I’m getting towards the end of it now and I’m looking forward to getting back into full training with the lads and getting back on the pitch and playing again.”

Harkin has remained a part of the squad despite being ruled out by injury, with manager Ruaidhri Higgins recently revealing that he was highly thought of in the dressing room by the staff and the players.

“All the lads have been brilliant and Derry City have been brilliant,” he continued. “I’ve been working a lot with the physio and the strength and conditioning coach, but just being around in training days and match days is helping. It didn’t help when I was sitting in the house and watching games but I do like to get to the games, so being there and being a part of it is helping me mentally and helping me get through my rehab.

“I do like being involved. I can’t help on the pitch so I do try and help in other ways, trying to get a buzz in the changing room and try to get boys up for games and things like that. That’s something I try to do just to be involved. We’re doing well and all the lads are confident. There’s a good buzz there so just getting back and getting involved is the main outcome.”

‘Excited’

Harkin admits he was just as excited as anyone else for the new season when big names like Patrick McEleney and Michael Duffy arrived at the Brandywell, and he hasn’t given up playing alongside them just yet.

“For myself personally at the start of the season, obviously before I got injured, I was really excited to play with those better players,” he continued. “Every time I saw there was a new signing coming in, they were big, big players with high profiles in the league, the best players in the league for me, players who I have watched and who I grew up watching, so I was excited to play with them. I know I didn’t get to play with them as much as I wanted this year, but my chance will come and I’m looking forward to it.”

Harkin admits that the influence of both McEleney and Duffy cannot be underestimated especially at such a crucial stage of the season when every game is huge.

“They are both similar,” he explained. “Coming into the game the other day against Shamrock Rovers, I was just looking at them. Me personally I would be shaking and nervous fir the game, but those boys are used to playing in the big games and they are used to winning cups and titles and that’s good to have around the squad because it will help everyone else on as well.”

City are now just two points behind Rovers in the race for the league title, and just one game away from their first FAI Cup final since 2014. The season could yet end in silverware and Harkin hopes it is a sign of things to come.  

“It would be massive,” he admitted. “We’ve been on a good run recently and even the game against Rovers last Sunday, it’s going to boost us again and hopefully that takes us to another level now and we can finish strongly this season. Getting silverware any year is the main thing so from now on, with the squad we have and the player Ruaidhri has brought in now, it’s going to be demanded now hopefully.”