Ruairi Harkin joins Finn Harps

Finn Harps have confirmed the signing of Ruairi Harkin. The 29-year-old midfielder was previously with Irish League side Cliftonville. It will be Harkin’s second spell at Finn Park having made 12 appearances in the early part of 2009 while on loan from Derry City. Ruairi is looking forward to now being part of a Harps squad that is batting for Premier Division survival. “The last couple of years have been frustrating for me with injuries to my two knees and the fact that Cliftonville play their games on an astro turf pitch wasn’t helping me. So I’ve been training on grass over the summer and I’m looking forward to doing my best for Ollie [Horgan] and Harps. I know it’s going to be difficult but hopefully we can keep this run going” Harkin said.
As a 16-year-old Ruairi moved from Don Bosco’s in Derry to English club Charlton Athletic.  At the end of 2008, Harkin left Charlton and signed for his home town club, Derry City. After that loan spell at Harps, Ruairi returned to the Brandywell for the second half of the 2009 season. He made 20 league appearances for Derry in 2010, scoring three times, as the Candystripes won the First Division title. Harkin signed for Coleraine in the Irish Premier League at the beginning of 2012 where he was to spend five seasons. He joined Cliftonville in August 2016.
Harps boss Horgan says the Harkin signing will add experience to the squad as his side heads into the final nine league matches of the campaign. “Ruairi has ten years experience in senior football on both sides of the border. So, that should be a help to us and it gives us more options within the squad. For Ruairi personally, we hope that he can get up to full fitness because he’s had his difficulties with injuries in recent years” Horgan said.