Conor McMenamin's Move to Glentoran: Best for Everyone, Says Ruaidhri Higgins
Ruaidhri Higgins has called Conor McMenamin’s swift switch from Coleraine to Glentoran “best for everyone” after a whirlwind 10 weeks that never really settled on the north coast.
McMenamin arrived at Coleraine from St Mirren in June, a marquee summer signing and a Northern Ireland international winger expected to spearhead a title push. By deadline day, he was gone, heading for the Oval, with midfielder Joe Thomson travelling the opposite way to the Showgrounds as part of the deal.
Speaking after his move, McMenamin admitted “it wasn’t meant to be” at Coleraine. Higgins, freshly crowned August’s manager of the month by the Northern Ireland Football Writers’ Association, didn’t argue.
“Sometimes in football and just life in general, things don't go as expected or according to plan,” he said. “It's certainly not a personal issue with Conor at all.”
In truth, geography bit hard. McMenamin, 31, had been open about his reluctance to relocate from Downpatrick to the north coast, stressing that family and personal matters shaped his decision. The daily grind told its own story: around 75 miles each way, roughly 90 minutes on the road to training and back.
Higgins didn’t dress it up.
That commute, he said, was “not sustainable”. The pair spoke repeatedly in recent weeks, and the conclusion felt inevitable.
“Conor and I had regular conversations over the last couple of weeks actually,” Higgins explained. “We've come to this conclusion and I think it's best for everyone.”
If McMenamin’s departure grabbed the headlines, the deal also solved a growing problem in the heart of Coleraine’s midfield. Injuries to Mark Coyle and Rowan McDonald had left the Bannsiders thin in the centre of the pitch. Thomson’s arrival changes that picture.
Higgins knows exactly what he is getting. He managed Thomson at Derry City and trusts his engine and edge.
“Joe is so different to the players that we have. He plays with an edge and he has a goal in him,” said the Coleraine boss. “He's very much box-to-box and all-action, and I've worked with him before so I know what I'm getting.”
Deadline day didn’t stop there. Coleraine also moved decisively for Adam Brooks from Crusaders, a signing that feels as much like a project as a plug-in solution.
Brooks, a former Celtic striker, had been used mainly out wide at Seaview last season but started this campaign brightly through the middle, including a hat-trick in a 3-2 win over Portadown. That performance only sharpened Higgins’ interest in the 22-year-old Scot.
He had been tracking Brooks for some time and sees a forward with range and instinct.
“For not the biggest lad in the world he scores good headed goals, with his right foot, left foot, he can score from distance and inside the six yard box,” Higgins said. “He's got good awareness and so much to his game. I think if he was six foot two he would have never played in this league because he would be somewhere else.
“We see it as an investment and someone we can develop, and I've no doubt that Adam can kick on and once he establishes himself here, it wouldn't surprise me if he went on to another level in the coming years.”
Higgins recalls watching him at Portadown last season and being sold on the spot.
“Straight away I really liked what I was seeing,” he said. “I know he's a brilliant boy and he played out of position a lot last year, but there's no doubt in my mind that he's a top, top centre forward.
“He's very like a Robbie Keane sort of mould and that type of centre forward, and there's a lot I like about him.”
All of this unfolds against a backdrop of rising expectation at the Showgrounds. Coleraine finished just three points behind eventual champions Larne last season after a late surge, and the club’s move to full-time football, backed by investment, has altered the conversation around what is possible.
The Bannsiders are now spoken of as genuine contenders for the Gibson Cup. Their only league title came in 1974. A second would arrive in the club’s centenary year.
“To me it's trying to win the second league title in the club's history, and it would be extra-special if you could do it in the centenary year,” Higgins said. “On a daily basis, I put myself under massive pressure and that's why we are here. We want to be part of a successful, ambitious club.”
For now, the pressure is productive. Higgins says he is “very lucky” and “loving” life at Coleraine. The numbers back that up: an unbeaten start to the season, three wins and a draw from four games, including a point against Larne, and three clean sheets.
“We're obviously really happy with the start, and we're particularly happy with the three clean sheets out of four, and we're scoring goals again which is pleasing,” he said. “We're four games in, so we'll not get too excited, but the players have been fantastic and it's a joy to work with them and the staff on a daily basis.”
Next comes Crusaders at Seaview on Saturday evening, a 18:00 BST kick-off and another test of whether this Coleraine side are ready to turn promise and bold transfer calls into something that finally shifts the club’s history.
