Ciaron Harkin believes Coleraine loan move can fire him back into Derry City reckoning

The 28 year-old midfielder admits it was a difficult decision to leave a Candy Stripes side who are battling for a domestic 'double'.

However, with just 11 league games remaining, he believes his short term loan deal to the Bannsiders could fire himself back into the reckoning for the Brandywell club's 2025 campaign.

The Creggan man, who missed two full seasons through successive ACL injuries, returned to action this term to make his 100th club appearance.

It was a proud milestone but afterwards he found his gametime limited with Ruaidhri Higgins' side flying high at the top of the table.

Having signed a contract extension which keeps him at his hometown club until the end of the 2025 season, 'Jackie' is confident his return to Coleraine, where he won the Irish Cup in 2018, will help him return to his best form.

"It's obviously not going too well at Derry at the minute for me so I'm happy to get out on loan and I've another year at Derry next year," he revealed.

"So that's the plan, get back in January with a load of games under my belt and push on from there and get back to my best.

"I felt I could have made a bigger contribution this year coming back from injury.

"Around March time, over the weeks I was getting fitter and stronger. I felt ready and was just waiting for my chance.

"The minutes or gametime I would've liked didn't come and it's just come to a point where I have to think about getting as many games as possible and this is the best option for me to get me back at my best and back in the Derry City team.

"The last three years have obviously been tough for me and I understood it wasn't going to just happen for me in my first game back when I got fit but Derry is where I want to be and where I want to play and this is my best opportunity to make that happen.

"So I'm just hoping everything goes well and I can do well at Coleraine. Hopefully my future is at Derry City and I can get back playing for Derry."

The midfielder, who joined the Bannsiders in 2017 after impressing with his performances at Institute, went on to help the club lift their sixth Irish Cup in 2018 before leaving to return to his boyhood club, Derry City.

He’s played under three City managers since making his return to the club six years ago including Kenny Shiels, father of current Coleraine boss Dean Shiels who was delighted to announce the capture of the midfielder dynamo.

“This is a brilliant bit of business to bring Ciaron in on loan. He is an incredibly gifted midfielder who knows what it takes to win trophies at this club and compete at a high level. It’s a pleasure to have Jackie join the squad.”

He will join up with the rest of the squad in preparation for the upcoming season.

Read full interview in Friday’s ‘Derry Journal’