Derry City receive 'concrete offer' from League One club for Brian Maher

​The 23 year-old Dubliner, who was named Goalkeeper of the Year at the 2023 SSE Airtricity/Soccer Writers Ireland awards ceremony last December, has one year remaining on his current Derry City contract, however, the Brandywell club is unlikely to sell just four weeks out from the opening game of the season.

Indeed, Ruaidhri Higgins will be keen to keep hold of one of the club's hottest properties ahead of a season where Derry will be expected to be Shamrock Rovers biggest challengers for the league title once again.

The former Ireland U21 international, who has previously been linked with Rovers, is known to have several admirers in England and Europe with a string of top class performances over recent seasons attracting widespread interest in his services.

Maher was instrumental in Derry's defensive record last season - the best in the league - having conceded just 24 goals in 36 fixtures!

The Candy Stripes finished the season with clean sheets in five of their last five games taking their total to an incredible 18 league games and 24 matches in all competitions as Maher received the League of Ireland Premier Division golden glove award.

The Raheny native has been one of Higgins' standout signings since arriving from Bray Wanderers in 2022 and quickly established himself as City's No.1, winning the FAI Cup in his first campaign with his distribution from the back a key facet to his game.

While he played the second half of Derry's 2-2 pre-season draw with Finn Harps in Ballybofey, Maher was a notable absentee in the 5-4 friendly defeat to Sligo Rovers at the Showgrounds last Saturday afternoon with Tagh Ryan playing the 90 minutes, fuelling speculation of a potential move away from Foyleside.

Meanwhile another key City player from last season Ben Doherty has been linked with a move to League One club Leyton Orient but a club source has moved to rubbish rumours as 'total nonsense'.

Doherty was named in the PFAI Premier Division Team of the Year in 2023 alongside teammate Will Patching, after contributing nine assists and scoring five goals in 34 appearances.

Doherty started Saturday’s game in Sligo where new signings Pat Hoban (two) and Daniel Kelly got off the mark.

Higgins was delighted with the contribution of both men admitted there were lessons to be learned defensively as his team uncharacteristically conceded five goals.

"You seen Pat’s hold-up play, his hunger, his desire and he showed his leadership qualities,” began Higgins.

"He gets two chances and buries them. He gets an overhead kick taken off the line and he missed a penalty so he could’ve had four but we’ll take two. It’s a great start for him and he looks like he’s got the bit between his teeth.

"Daniel Kelly was always going to play half an hour. He hasn’t trained much in the last week and again he gets into the back post area where he gets a lot of goals from.

"The five goals we’ve given away, every single one of them came fro us being in complete control of possession, sloppy passes and then got punished for it,” added the City boss.

“We obviously had a really, really good defensive for the last few years and it’s unlike us but it’s about learning as well and we have to be more tidy in possession of the ball.

“You never ever want to concede that amount of goals in a game but it’s basic mistakes and mistake we haven’t been used to making so get rid of them now and just be tidier in possession right throughout the team and that’ll eradicate those mistakes because the goals haven’t been from cutting us open but from us being a wee bit too loose in possession at times.

“There’s a lot of learning from it but also a lot of stuff we’re quite happy with as well. We have another five games at least and I’m sure everyone will get plenty of minutes before kick-off.”Derry’s preseason campaign continues away to Glenavon on Tuesday night (kick-off 7.30pm), at home to Finn Harps next Friday, against Institute in the Billy Kee Memorial Cup at Brandywell on January 31st.

The club will then travel to the Oval to take on Glentoran on Saturday, February 2nd before taking on Dundalk on Friday, February 9th behind closed doors. (Times to be confirmed).