Sligo Rovers are pleased to announce the appointment of Darren Purse as manager on an 18-month contract.

The 49-year-old arrives at the Showgrounds from Cardiff City, where he spent almost five years working with the club’s Under-23 and Under-21 sides, running their loan programme and serving a spell as assistant manager of the first team.

“I’m really looking forward to getting started,” he tells sligorovers.com.

“When the opportunity came up I rang a few people I know who have worked in football around Ireland, and every one of them said the same thing. It’s a really good football club, and one I’m looking forward to taking places.”

Purse inherits a side bottom of the Premier Division after 24 games, and he is under no illusions about the immediate task.

“You can have a long-term plan as much as you want, but the big thing for us is winning games over the next 12 and staying in this division,” he says.

“After that you can set your plans for the season after, and the season after that. Right now it’s about winning football matches.”

Purse succeeds John Russell, who left the club earlier this month after just over four years as men’s first team manager, having previously represented Rovers as a player and served as assistant manager. Purse’s appointment concludes a recruitment process in which the club interviewed a wide field of candidates.

“I am delighted to welcome Darren to the Showgrounds,” chairperson Tommy Higgins says.

“He came through as the standout candidate in a thorough process and the panel’s decision was unanimous.

“He impressed us with his technical and interpersonal skills and with his vision for Sligo Rovers. We look forward to working with Darren in the seasons ahead.”

A centre-half capped at England Under-21 level, Purse played for over two decades and captained nearly every club he represented, including Birmingham City, Cardiff City and Sheffield Wednesday. He was named Birmingham’s Player of the Season in 2000/01, a campaign in which he scored a last-minute penalty in the League Cup final against Liverpool.

He intends to bring that experience of leading dressing rooms with him.

“You have to be the leader who sets the standards. If you’re going to win football matches you need desire and work ethic around you, as a club and as a team, and that’s what I want to bring here,” he says.

“I’ve watched the last few games back and there’s plenty of quality in that dressing room to get us up the table. It’s my job to get the best out of each individual player to achieve that.”

Since moving into coaching he has built a reputation for bringing young players through. He joined Cardiff in December 2021 and oversaw a pathway that produced nine of their first-team players last season.

“I’ve been looking for the right project for a while,” he says.

“It’s a football club that wants to develop young players, and that’s something I’d like to think I’m good at. My history says that.

“We need to be developing young players who can play for Rovers’ first team, and if the opportunity arises to sell them on and further their careers, that’s good for the football club too.”

Alongside his coaching, Purse ran Cardiff’s loan programme, placing young players into senior football at home and abroad.

“That was a string I added to my bow over the last three years. Cardiff didn’t really have a loan strategy until that point,” he says.

“It’s a huge part of developing young players. They need the opportunity to go and play men’s football, and it bridges the gap between the Under-21s and the first team.

“In that role I built up an immense list of contacts, and I’ll be looking to tap into those before the transfer window closes.”

That window shuts Tuesday next, leaving the new manager a little over a week to add to his squad.

The supporter-owned model at the Showgrounds also drew him to the job.

“I’ve been involved with fan-owned clubs before, as a player towards the end of my career, and I always find people go above and beyond,” Purse says.

“Everybody talks about the number of volunteers, the people who give up their own time for the success of the club, and I’m hoping I can represent the club in the best way possible by being around the community as much as I can.”

On what supporters can expect from his teams, Purse is clear.

“Playing for the shirt is the biggest thing. It’s what I did most and best as a player,” he says.

“As a manager, you need that desire every time you cross the white line, and we’re going to need it in abundance. I like a side that wants to play through the thirds and be a positive, possession-based team.”

Purse will be in the dugout on Saturday night alongside Declan Boyle, who has led preparations for the game on an interim basis and will then return to his role as men’s Under-20s manager. Purse’s message to those coming through the turnstiles is a simple one.

“The biggest thing is to back the players. Are they going to make mistakes over the next 12 games? Yes,” he says.

“But I guarantee every single one of them will be playing for the shirt, which is a non-negotiable for me, and working as hard as they can to get us out of the situation we’re in.”

Sligo Rovers versus Drogheda United kicks off at the Showgrounds on Saturday night at 7.45pm.

Ryan Davey