Derry City boss Ruaidhri Higgins backs Stephen Kenny to leave a legacy
Manager Stephen Kenny, left, and Ruaidhri Higgins, during his time as chief scout and opposition analyst, during an Ireland training at Abbotstown back in March 2021. Photo: Seb Daly/Sportsfile
As a former lieutenant who worked with Stephen Kenny before the call from Derry City lured him away from the FAI, Ruaidhri Higgins has skin in the game when it comes to the job being done by the under-fire manager of the senior Ireland side.
And while he has enough to worry about this week with a potential title decider against Shamrock Rovers on Friday, Higgins feels that no matter what happens with Kenny's immediate future as manager of the team, the legacy he leaves behind - if and when Kenny does exit his role - will benefit the next man to take the post.
"Irish football in the future will be in a better place from his tenure, given the fact of the amount of young players who have come into the squad, who he has exposed to huge international matches," Higgins said.
"I know he's coming under huge criticism but I think down the road we will see the huge benefit of what's been happening over the last couple of years, I know results haven't been great but Irish football will be in a better place."
It was a grim week for football on the island as both Northern Ireland and the Republic lost back to back matches in their Euro 2024 qualifiers to drop out of contention far too early.
Similar arguments will be made about both teams, about expectations on the managers, the quality of players available and the lack of investment, a point that ex-Northern Ireland man David Healy has made very strongly about the North's failure to capitalise on their relative success at Euro 2016 and the backwards steps taken since then.
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