Derry City treble winner Paul Hegarty admits he’s excited about returning to the club for the fourth time as assistant boss.
The 56-year-old, who replaced Paddy McLaughlin after the former Cliftonville boss left the club in December, was alongside manager Ruaidhrí Higgins in the dug-out during yesterday’s 3-0 friendly win at Dundalk.
Higgins feels the Donegal native will bring valuable experience to the Brandywell dressing room and his knowledge and man management skills will benefit the squad.
“I’m delighted to be working with Paul and he’ll bring a wealth of experience to our group,” stated Higgins, who worked under Hegarty in 2006.
“I know from previous experience that he brings an unbelievable work ethic and knowledge of this league and its players. “Paul will be of great support to me going forward and this is a club that has always been very close to his heart. He brings real intelligence to his work and I’m looking forward to tapping into that:
“He has enjoyed success here in the past, both as a player, and then as assistant to Stephen Kenny, and we’ll do everything in our power to bring more in the future.” The Candy Stripes moved swiftly to appoint the former Institute gaffer after talks with Waterford to bring Alan Reynolds back to the club failed.
Hegarty’s appointment brings another League of Ireland title winner to the dressing room, as he along with Peter Hutton, Liam Coyle, Paul Curran and Felix Healy have clinched the Premier Division on the only two times the Foylesiders have clinched the top flight prize.
City, who begin their 2024 campaign against Drogheda United, at what will be a sold out Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium, next Friday night and they go into the league opener following a fantastic performance against Stephen O’Donnell’s Dundalk.
One of only a handful of players to win the treble in 1989 and Derry City’s second and last title in 1997, Hegarty knows the club inside out, having been involved in different roles on and off the pitch for over three decades.
A key member of Jim McLaughlin’s all-conquering side of 1988/89, Hegarty returned to the club to help Felix Healy bring the title back to the Brandywell eight years later.
In all, the midfielder made 303 appearances in two spells at the Brandywell, scoring nine goals, one of which was the famous winner in the Irish News Cup final of 1997, which saw the Maiden City club come from 4-0 down to beat Sligo Rovers over two legs.
Hegarty returned to the club in 2006 as assistant manager to Stephen Kenny, and helped Derry City to within touching distance of another treble as well as that famous European Dance, which brought games against IFK Gothenburg, Gretna and Paris St. Germain.
He was also assistant manager to Declan Devine in 2012. Hegarty has also seen the lows as well as the highs at the club, and returned as caretaker manager in 2015, helping steer the club to safety following the departure of manager Peter Hutton.
The Ballindrait native, who was last involved in football as assistant to Ollie Horgan at Finn Harps in 2021, has been close to a return on a number of occasions in recent years, and he admitted it was thrilled to be back:
“I’m delighted to be back and I’m fairly sure everybody knows what this club means to me,” stated Hegarty. “I’m here to do whatever I can to help Ruaidhrí and the players and it’s a challenge I’m really looking forward to.”