Midfielder Ciaron Harkin has signed an extension to his current Sligo Rovers deal, the Bit O’Red are delighted to confirm. The 29-year-old, who joined Rovers last summer has put pen to paper on a new contract which sees the Derry man prolong his stay in Sligo to the end of the 2026 season.
Harkin’s signature brings to fourteen the number of players from last season who have committed to Rovers for 2026, while four new additions total eighteen currently contracted for next term.
Harkin initially signed for John Russell’s men from Derry City in late July 2025, making his debut a few days later as a half-time substitute against Shelbourne at the Showgrounds. ‘Jackie’ then made his first start a week later at Richmond Park and would go on to feature a total of thirteen times that year as Rovers finished the year strongly to finish in seventh spot in the Premier Division.
“His experience was invaluable to our group last year”, Russell says of the latest player to commit to his side ahead of the league’s kick-off in February next.
“He made a big impact since coming in from Derry last summer. Despite not playing a huge amount of football before he came here, he quickly got up to speed and imposed himself in games. He showed real hunger and desire to win football matches and put his stamp on things, which is exactly what we wanted to see.
“We love the energy he shows to cover the ground. His quality on the ball is evident every time we see him play and the aggression he shows is superb, he works so hard.
“So we’ve seen some of what Ciaron can offer us and we’re looking to now get even more from him in 2026.”
Harkin, who turns 30 before next season gets underway, is one of the senior heads in what is becoming a more experienced Rovers outfit. The midfielder has come through a lot in his career including two ACL ruptures which kept him out of the game for almost two years.
In 2025, he also had to contend with blending into a new squad and was the final of six mid-season signings by Russell. But he quickly got up to pace and played his part in the trojan effort it took to pull Rovers away from the relegation spots.
“Coming in half way through the year made things difficult in terms of securing my spot in the first eleven”, he explains.
“Especially given that the team had just come off a few really big wins. But the manager gave me a chance pretty much straight away which I was so glad to him for.
“We finished the season well but for me, coming from not playing regularly over the last few years, I don’t think I was ready to play consistently every week. So when I was on the bench, I was making sure I could come on and make an impact in games. I was lucky enough to start a few games and felt like I put in a few big performances in some big games. The season probably came to an end at the wrong time for me as I was starting to feel fitter, more confident and back to my old self.
“Every squad is different and ours was very young. I felt like I could help when I was on the pitch with the younger lads by just giving as much information as I could or by helping to manage things in difficult moments.
“The younger lads here have such great ability but sometimes I think it’s good for the older players to help out with the mental side of things too. Like having a word with them when we’ve suffered a disappointing result. When you’re young, it can be hard to get over poor results so I like to get involved and help motivate them for the following game.”
On playing under Russell, Harkin tells sligorovers.com his boss has played a big part in the former Institute man’s first few months at the Showgrounds.
He’s also looking forward to vying for a starting spot in the engine room alongside the likes of Seb Quirk, Carl McHugh, Daire Patton and Jad Hakiki.
“I’ve loved working with him. He’s very straight-forward and easy to get along with. From my first chat with him, I knew I’d get along with him. He knows the game so well and makes it enjoyable to come to training. He drills it into the younger players to fear nobody and I love seeing that.
“It’s a great buzz for me knowing I’ll be part of things here again next year. Seeing the boys who are already signed from last year and the new ones that have come in, it’s even more exciting. The squad the manager is putting together is going to just make us stronger.
“The competition for spots is very healthy. We’re all here for the same reason and to win football matches. Having players with bags of ability and hunger just helps. I know if I’m not picked, I need to work harder to get the chance. But when I do play, it gives me a lot of confidence knowing I have such talented players beside me.
“My time here so far has been just a great experience. I’m hoping to make 2026 better not just for myself but the team, the supporters and people who run the club. The love this area has for its team is phenomenal. You see it every second Friday on the road with the big crowds following us all over the country. We’re going to try and give them a few more big nights next year.”
David Goulden
*Players signed for 2026 season: Ciaron Harkin, Jeannot Esua, Daire Patton, Alex Nolan, Carl McHugh, Ollie Denham, Sam Sargeant, Paddy McClean, Gareth McElroy, Conor Reynolds, Sean Stewart, Owen Elding, Cian Kavanagh, Archie Meekison, Will Fitzgerald, Seb Quirk, Kyle McDonagh and Jad Hakiki.