Dundalk FC promotion is “the only aim” says Horgan

Daryl Horgan has expressed his desire to spend the remainder of his career at Dundalk FC despite the club’s recent relegation to the SSE Airtricity League First Division.

The 32-year-old is contracted to Dundalk until 2026, however financial troubles inside Oriel Park suggested that the ex-Republic of Ireland international could be moved on.

In a recent interview with The Democrat, Horgan outlined his intentions to remain – and has since confirmed to dundalkfc.com that he will be a Dundalk player next season.

He said: “I would love to be in a position where I’m at Dundalk for the rest of my career, where we’re extremely successful, get back to the Premier Division, back competing for titles and the great European nights. If I can be part of that, it would be absolutely incredible.

“I’m completely invested in it. Football is funny, it changes, something might be going exactly how you want it one day and then a week later, all of a sudden, someone doesn’t want you or something has changed above you.

“Football changes like that, but while I’m here and while I’m in it, I’m absolutely all in. There’s no doubt about that. It’s something I’m passionate about, it’s something I’m very, very excited about.”

With Drogheda United defeating Bray Wanderers in the promotion/relegation play-off, the full make-up of next season’s First Division has been confirmed, with Horgan insisting that The Lilywhites’ aim for 2025 is an immediate return to the Premier.

“It’s very early, but I think the aim has to be promotion,” said the Galwegian. “That’s the only aim, really. Every team in the First Division will probably be thinking the exact same. For us, definitely promotion, try to win the division and get out.

“That has to be the aim for everybody here. We’re a big club in the First Division, we have to own that and understand what’s coming, where we’re a big scalp. We have to accept that we have to be ready for that.

“But then with that comes the expectations. We’ll be expected to win every week, which I suppose will be a bit different to last season, but it’s something as a team and as a club we’ll be able to build on and show the levels we can reach.

“After the relegation, when people felt it, I was sitting in it for a few days, feeling the hurt and having a good think about everything that went wrong.

“One of the big things was that now it’s an opportunity for a reboot, a reset of the club after everything that has gone on and get everyone pointing in the one direction, forward.

“We need everybody helping each other. We saw the importance of the community element to Dundalk when the club nearly went out of business. If we can see that together, with players, fans, in the boardroom, staff, everybody – we’ll be in a really, really strong place.”

Ciaran Kilduff, who played alongside Horgan at Dundalk throughout the 2016 season, has been entrusted with the task of leading The Lilywhites back into the Premier.

“I’m delighted,” enthused Horgan when asked about Dundalk’s newly-appointed manager. “I obviously know Ciaran very, very well, as a player, probably not so much as a manager, but he has been extremely successful with the Athlone Women’s team, so it was a different perspective for the two of us.

“We’ve had a couple of good chats. The way he’s been, the energy he’s bringing to it, the way he is looking at going about it is very, very interesting for everybody, and exciting as well.

“He has openly said himself he probably wouldn’t get this opportunity if everything was rosy at Dundalk, so he’s thinking this is a really good opportunity for him. It’s a good opportunity for everybody.

“Football has taken a backward step, in a sense, it has been a tough time for everybody, and a tough year. But from that, opportunities have arisen. For me, I’m looking at it as an opportunity to get this club back to a level where it should be at.

“There are young players coming through with a chance to develop. I suppose Ciaran as a manager is looking at it as the first steps into the men’s game and taking over a big job like Dundalk, it’s exciting for everybody.

“Last season, for the fans it was an extremely tough year, but the support we got was incredible all year given the difficult year that they had and we had.

“Yes, it’s tough, but it’s exciting too, it’s a real new challenge for everybody and a chance to put Dundalk on the right path and heading forward again.

“I spoke to John (Temple) and Peter (Halpin) and they have set the motion along that path. Ciaran has come in and he’ll add to that. He’ll bring his own expertise and qualities, that passion and drive to win, and the will to propel us forward – Dundalk means a great deal to him. He’ll bring that passion and he’ll instil that hopefully in the 11, and the 22 that are part of the squad.”