Confirmed: Finn Harps appoint Dave Rogers as new manager 

Rogers has joined Harps from Premier League club Nottingham Forest, where he was the under-21 manager.

TAKING THE REIGNS: Dave Rogers is the new Finn Harps boss. Pic: Finn Harps/Twitter

Dave Rogers has been tasked with the job of trying to get Finn Harps back into the top-flight of the SSE Airtricity League.

The 47-year-old - whose playing career saw him at Drogheda United, St. Patrick’s Athletic, Dundalk, Derry City and most famously Shelbourne where he won the Premier Division on three occasions - has joined Harps from Premier League club Nottingham Forest, where he was the under-21 manager.

His coaching journey has already taken him across the world, working with the Liverpool FC International Academy in America, South Korea and India. He has also managed in India with DSK Shivajians FC, and more recently in America with FC Arizona.

And now he is relishing the opportunity of managing the Donegal club.

Rogers told FinnHarps.ie: Once the board made initial contact I could sense and feel the passion and pride they have in taking the club forward both on and off the pitch and also to speak and deal with positive and realistic football people was a big factor.

“The fact that I am signing a long-term contract and basing myself permanently in Donegal shows the ambition and vision and commitment of both myself and the Board of Directors to create a real culture and identity for Finn Harps FC and along with a thriving academy, continuing to implement an array of structures and foundations to enable short term gains and long term stability.” 

He continued: “Ballybofey has always been a tough ground to play at and the fans and community have always displayed fantastic energy and support towards the players and staff so I’m proud to be tasked with delivering a brand and style of football that will engage and embrace those traits with enthusiasm and to play on the front foot.” 

He also paid tribute to the players, staff, and fans of Nottingham Forest who gave him “an environment and platform to develop and progress as a coach and most of all as a human being.” Rogers takes over the position previously held by Ollie Horgan - who parted company with the club last month shortly after they were relegated to Division One.

One of the new manager’s first tasks will be to sign players for next season.

The bulk of the first team from 2022 is out of contract, and a number of key players including former captain Dave Webster, and fellow defenders Ethan Boyle and Rob Slevin have already departed.

Finn Harps Chairman Ian Harkin said: “I’m delighted to have Dave on board. We were aware of his reputation as a coach having completed his Pro-licence alongside people close to the club and we identified him as someone we wanted to speak to from the outset.

“As a club the opportunity to go with a full-time manager was too big an opportunity to miss, Dave has a huge experience in our league and in developing players in three different continents. He was a leader on the field and a huge one now off the field. He is a huge advocate for developing our own talent. It's going to be an exciting journey.” For Harps, life back in Division One starts again in March.