Derry City's Ruaidhrí Higgins 'realistic' but targeting sustainable success

With a blizzard of high-profile signings arriving - mostly back from Dundalk - and the hefty financial muscle being provided by billionaire chairman Philip O'Doherty, it had been assumed that Derry City would be in position to challenge for the league title more or less immediately.

However, manager Ruaidhrí Higgins, who in 2021 oversaw their rise from bottom of the table after six games to fourth spot and European football by season's end, has played down expectations of an immediate title challenge, insisting the club have a huge gap to bridge to catch Shamrock Rovers.

It's a full quarter of a century this year since Derry City last lifted the Premier Division title, Felix Healy, former playing hero from the Treble winning vintage of 1988-89, guiding the Candystripes to league glory in 1996-97.

The current Republic of Ireland manager carried them close in the mid-noughties, with successive runner-up finishes in an era decorated by Cup success and European adventures.

However, a third league title has thus far eluded Derry but now chairman Philip O'Doherty, who sold his engineering business last year in a deal worth over a €1 billion, has invested heavily in the club to try to make it happen.

They're not, according to Higgins, going to be content with a Jack Walker/Blackburn style one-hit wonder either but are targeting sustained and consistent success.

"My very first conversation with Philip, I knew exactly what I was working with last season and I knew exactly what I was going to be working with this season," Higgins told RTÉ Sport at this week's League of Ireland launch in Clarehall.

"I know he sold his business after I took the job but regardless, the budget was always going to be there. We set our targets on who we wanted