HORGAN EXCITED BY DUNDALK’S FUTURE

Daryl Horgan believes Dundalk can use relegation as an opportunity for “a reset” at Oriel Park and stated that “we need everybody helping each other” in 2025, as he confirmed he will be part of Ciarán Kilduff’s squad for the promotion push.

Horgan admitted that he was “as culpable as anybody” for Dundalk’s demotion after a rollercoaster 16-season stay in the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division, but there was never a doubt in his mind that he wanted to stay and bring the club back up.

The Galway native, now 32, won three titles in a row with Dundalk between 2014 and 2016, the latter two coming in the same team as Kilduff, who he also shared the 2015 League and Cup double success with.

Horgan was thrilled to see his old teammate handed the reins at Oriel and, having had conversations with the new manager, as well as club owner John Temple and CEO Peter Halpin, the winger says everybody should be excited about the future.

Having returned to the club in August last year, after being away in the UK for almost seven years, the club announced three months ago that Horgan had signed a contract extension until the end of 2026.

And he has confirmed that he will remain at Oriel despite relegation, going on to say that he “would love to be in a position where I’m at Dundalk for the rest of my career”, with the immediate aim of a swift return to the top flight.

“With everything going forward and the vision of what I see, I’m all in,” Horgan told dundalkfc.com. “I spoke to John, we had a good chat. It was a tough year for everybody and I was as culpable as anybody for the relegation.

“It was something that I wanted to be able to put right, put the shoulder to the wheel and get us back up into the Premier Division where we belong and where we all want to be.”

On the appointment of Kilduff…

“I’m delighted. I obviously know Ciarán very, very well, as a player, probably not so much as a manager, but he has been extremely successful with the Athlone Women’s team, so it was a different perspective for the two of us.

“We’ve had a couple of good chats. The way he’s been, the energy he’s bringing to it, the way he is looking at going about it is very, very interesting for everybody, and exciting as well.

“He has openly said himself he probably wouldn’t get this opportunity if everything was rosy at Dundalk, so he’s thinking this is a really good opportunity for him. It’s a good opportunity for everybody.

“Football has taken a backward step, in a sense, it has been a tough time for everybody, and a tough year. But from that, opportunities have arisen. For me, I’m looking at it as an opportunity to get this club back to a level where it should be at.

“There are young players coming through with a chance to develop. I suppose Ciarán as a manager is looking at it as the first steps into the men’s game and taking over a big job like Dundalk, it’s exciting for everybody.

“Last season, for the fans it was an extremely tough year, but the support we got was incredible all year given the difficult year that they had and we had. Yes, it’s tough, but it’s exciting too, it’s a real new challenge for everybody and a chance to put Dundalk on the right path and heading forward again.

“I spoke to John and Peter and they have set the motion along that path. Ciarán has come in and he’ll add to that. He’ll bring his own expertise and qualities, that passion and drive to win, and the will to propel us forward – Dundalk means a great deal to him. He’ll bring that passion and he’ll instill that hopefully in the 11, and the 22 that are part of the squad.”

On what we can achieve next year…

“It’s very early, but I think the aim has to be promotion. That’s the only aim, really. Every team in the First Division will probably be thinking the exact same. For us, definitely promotion, try to win the division and get out.

“That has to be the aim for everybody here. We’re a big club in the First Division, we have to own that and understand what’s coming, where we’re a big scalp. We have to accept that we have to be ready for that.

“But then with that comes the expectations. We’ll be expected to win every week, which I suppose will be a bit different to last season, but it’s something as a team and as a club we’ll be able to build on and show the levels we can reach.”

On everybody being together…

“After the relegation, when people felt it, I was sitting in it for a few days, feeling the hurt and having a good think about everything that went wrong.

“One of the big things was that now it’s an opportunity for a reboot, a reset of the club after everything that has gone on and get everyone pointing in the one direction, forward.

“We need everybody helping each other. We saw the importance of the community element to Dundalk when the club nearly went out of business. If we can see that together, with players, fans, in the boardroom, staff, everybody – we’ll be in a really, really strong place.”

On being in for the long haul at Dundalk…

“I’m completely invested in it. Football is funny, it changes, something might be going exactly how you want it one day and then a week later, all of a sudden, someone doesn’t want you or something has changed above you.

“Football changes like that, but while I’m here and while I’m in it, I’m absolutely all in. There’s no doubt about that. It’s something I’m passionate about, it’s something I’m very, very excited about and I would love to be in a position where I’m at Dundalk for the rest of my career, where we’re extremely successful, get back to the Premier Division, back competing for titles and the great European nights. If I can be part of that, it would be absolutely incredible.”

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