Rohan Ferguson explains why it was a ‘no brainer’ to turn down Scottish Championship sides for Larne

Having won the League with Linfield while on loan from Motherwell two years ago, the former Airdrie stopper knows all about the Danske Bank Premiership.

He knows that, despite Larne’s successful first foray into Europe, neither next week’s European opponents — Aarhus from Denmark — nor their domestic rivals will be easy to beat in the weeks and months ahead.

People back home in Scotland ask him why he opted to sign for Larne rather than join a local club, but for Ferguson the decision was easy to make.

“It was a no-brainer to join Larne,” he says. “I had other offers at home and from Scottish Championship clubs too.

“But for me, playing for Larne is a step up from the Scottish Championship. I get to play in Europe, I’m full-time and we drew with Kilmarnock a few weeks back so the standard is good here too and getting better.

“The club is very progressive, I like the set-up, I like the style of play because it suits me down to the ground and I feel I’m at a club that is going places.

“I was delighted to keep another clean sheet on my home debut on Thursday at Inver Park and I was delighted with our performances as a team.

“Playing three at the back worked really well for us and thankfully Davy McDaid and Ronan Hale scored in each game to see us through to play Aarhus.

“I’ve been loving life in Larne since I got here and I’m really excited about the season ahead, both in Europe and in the Irish League.

“Obviously I know the scene from my time at Linfield, which I loved, then I spent a year at Queen of the South last year before the chance to sign for Larne came about. I know (Larne midfielder) Andy Mitchell so I spoke to him, he told me about all the plans at the club and it sounded right up my street.

“I’m a modern goalkeeper who likes to play out from the back. I watched Larne in the European Play-Offs at the end of last season and I really liked what I saw.

“Tiernan told me about his plans and aims, it’s a really professional set-up and I’m thrilled with the move.

“We have Aarhus next up and that will be tough, but these are the games you want to play in as a footballer, you want to test yourself, to improve all the time.

“The European games have created a real buzz around the town too, you can feel it around the place.

“I’m not in the town that much as yet as I’m mostly training and playing, but I live in Larne with Andy Scott, Conor McKendry and Fuad Sule.

“We go for a coffee sometimes but because I’ve just arrived not too many people know me, but the other three get noticed plenty!”

It won’t be long until the domestic season comes around again with the League kicking off on August 28 — and Larne are again fancied to do well.

After an incredible start to last season’s campaign, the Inver Reds eventually tailed off as Linfield claimed the League and the Cup, and Ferguson feels his old team are still the ones to beat.

“The Blues will be there or thereabouts, they have lost a few players but brought a few quality players like Chris Shields in,” he adds.

“There is plenty of competition elsewhere from Coleraine, Glentoran, Cliftonville and Crusaders, so it should be a really exciting League.

“We will just look after ourselves, try to improve, work hard and finish higher than we did last year. That’s the aim.”