Darren Murphy: 'I enjoy the challenge of this job, that's why I'm here'

Finn Harps Darren Murphy stresses that like last season, he will not be setting any targets for the 2025 football year as he returns to the Finn Park hotseat. 

Having taken over as manager last season, Murphy’s message was simple: ‘to be competitive in every game and have players play without fear’. 

And with the League of Ireland First Division fixtures now released, Harps know their fate in that they must play three of their opening four fixtures away from home, including two of the club’s longest journeys to Kerry and Limerick. 

However, Murphy remains resolute with his side’s targets for the upcoming season, despite the Donegal side Coming close to making the play-offs, falling at the final hurdle and finishing in sixth position on 46 points, five off Bray Wanderers in fifth. 

“For me, the target again is trying to be competitive in every game we play,” Murphy told Donegal Live. “That’s all I want. Last season, the fans saw a team on the field that gave their all and were playing for the club. 

“I want that to continue, and I want that relationship between the players and the fans to continue because the fans were, and still are, so important to our journey and the players responded to that. 

“We’re not setting targets or putting the players under pressure because I want the players to play with freedom and not fear and that will be my main ambition.” 

With many supporters speculating whether Murphy would stay for another season at the club, news broke at the end of November that the Finn Harps boss penned a new deal at Finn Park, taking him up to the end of 2027. 

For Murphy, it was never going to be a matter of just walking away at the end of last season as he acknowledges that his aim from the start of last year was to have talks with the club over the winter and decide what were the best-laid plans for the side going forward. 

“It wasn’t a plan, but it was always going to be the way that I would help the club in 2024 in some capacity because I was involved with the team the previous year and there was some familiarity with me and the players,” he said. 

“So, from then onwards, no matter what happened, I was always going to sit down with the club at the end of the season and discuss what we needed and what we wanted. Once we did that, it became a very easy decision for me to stay on. I like the people here, I know it will be tough like last season, but we have to accept that.” 

No doubt, the hopes of getting promoted or making a play-off will be on the back of everyone’s mind at Finn Park, but Murphy is still set on bringing in young talent, building a team for the future, and staying competitive. 

“We’ll be looking for young players, like we did last year, to come into the squad,” Murphy admitted. “It’s an area we will be looking at again in the hope of competing and building a strong side. We’ll be looking at players similar to those like Luke O’Brien, who we brought in last season and did really well for us. 

“Already, we brought in Joe Gorman, who is a bit different in that he brings that bit of experience to the side which we also need. On top of that, we’ve been able to keep players like David Cawley and Tony McNamee which was crucial too. 

“It’s getting harder for us as a club trying to attract players, due to our status and where we’re located. So, it’s hard to bring players in from further afield and I hope people are aware of that, but it’s a challenge that I enjoy, I enjoy the challenge of this job, I’m not afraid of it, and I’m 12 months further down the line with this club. 

“I’ll do my best to understand the role even more this time around and understand the pressure around the role, but it’s something I’m going to enjoy again.”