Kearney reflects on the highs and lows in the hotseat as he reaches a decade of service with Coleraine

It's been quite a ride having left his first managerial post, impressing at Limavady United, prior to taking over from Davy Platt a decade ago.

In an exclusive interview with Sunday Life Sport, Kearney recalls: "The club at that point had a good history but had slightly drifted away. I'm not one who has a certain philosophy, believing the job has to be done a particular way, so the first couple of years were about adapting to the players, trying to protect the club and making sure we stayed in the League.

"This was done in the knowledge that we had a good group of players who were 15 or 16 years of age and one eye was on them making a difference to the club going forward. The big thing was waiting for them to come through and the waiting nearly killed me and nearly cost me my job."

On a run of nine straight League defeats in 2013, Kearney admits he felt the writing was on the wall but Chairman Colin McKendry stuck by the one-time midfielder, whose playing career was cut short by injury.

"I was very close to losing my job," says Kearney.

"There was an infamous run of defeats and one that will always stick in my mind was away to Warrenpoint who were playing at Dungannon for some reason. We felt that game would be the turning point and we deserved something but ended up losing.

"I remember doing the debrief with the players and then I met Colin (McKendry) in the tunnel area. I had a great relationship with Colin even then and didn't want him to feel that because of our friendship he had to keep me in the job and I broke into a sentence, saying, 'Listen Colin, I honestly think at this point in time if you feel...' but I didn't get the sentence finished. He stopped me and refused to entertain it.

"That was exactly what I needed as a young manager. I was just a couple of years into my tenure and the heat was on and Colin was fantastic. We won our next game, got the monkey off our back and started to go from strength to strength and everything started to turn."

The Coleraine supremo adds: "The plan for the club was to put faith in our young players. When you look at the calibre of player they turned into, it's easy to say now it was the right decision but it was also the right decision then because they brought a local feel to the club - Brad Lyons, Ballymoney; Adam Mullan, Limavady; Lyndon Kane, Coleraine; and Jamie McGonigle just across the mountain in Dungiven.

"With them coming in, there was an identity about the club again which I think was the start and catalyst of things moving forward."

Kearney continued his local hero vision by recruiting players such as Ian Parkhill, Gareth McConaghie and James McLaughlin.

He says: "We will always rely on a Jamie Glackin and lads from Derry and Belfast but I also want us to have players from within 10 miles of the club because I think it is important to Coleraine. We can bring 4,000-5,000 fans to Cup Finals and that comes down to our identity and supporters feeling they belong. We are a country club and it is an appreciation of the demographics of where we are. We have to be respectful of that. It is a big strength for us."

Winning the Irish Cup in 2018 remains the highlight for Kearney as Bannsiders boss but, having finished Premiership runners-up to Crusaders that year and to Linfield in 2020, there is a burning desire to go one better.

"I want to keep building. Our best League finish has been second twice. The only progress beyond that is to go and win it which we all know is very hard and getting harder with the finances of Linfield, Glentoran and Larne etc but we have to keep aspiring to be the best that we can be," says Kearney.

"I have enjoyed the Cup wins and the European experience and, for me, that brings a hunger to want more and to do it again and again.

"Ten years have gone by so fast. I look back with pride and enjoyment in relation to the people I have worked with and people I have met and the joy we have brought to the area.

"I remember arriving back to The Showgrounds after winning the Irish Cup and the stands were packed, the floodlights were on and there were scenes I'll never forget. Giving people those great memories matters so much and I want to deliver some more."

Sunday Life