Derry City's Ciaron Harkin has new lease of life after double ACL injury

​The midfielder was beginning to see light at the end of his tunnel after coming to terms with a horrendous injury sustained the previous February and had envisioned himself walking out onto the Aviva Stadium pitch to represent his hometown club in the FAI Cup Final, given Derry had a semi-final against Treaty United two weeks after he suffered that second ACL blow.

His Derry teammates did go on to fulfil that dream but 'Jackie', as he's affectionately known to friends and teammates, was forced to watch the celebrations after the 4-0 win over Shelbourne from the sidelines and on crutches - a moment which has only served to strengthen his resolve as takes his next steps on the rehab ladder.

"Going into the end of the year, I was seven or eight months into my rehab, feeling great," he explained. "At the time we were doing well in the league and everything was looking up.

"There was a cup final to look forward to and that was my goal," he explained. "I saw myself playing at the Aviva with the boys and making that was my goal before it all happened again.

It's now been over 20 months since 'Jackie' last pulled on the Derry shirt and as he tip-toes towards one of the most important pre-seasons of his career, his frustration, anxiety and sense of foreboding felt during those 'dark days' have been replaced by a childish excitement, especially since being rewarded with a new contract by manager Ruaidhri Higgins.

The 27-year-old Creggan man admits he was concerned and confused at times about how to approach his rehabilitation programme with club physio Michael Hegarty midway through the season and whether he was best served rushing back in order to save his Derry career and earn himself a new deal.

Thankfully he resisted that urge and while Higgins admits he could've got the player involved during the final month of the season, it wasn't worth risking an adverse reaction.

Now, with the security of another 12 months at the club, Harkin can't wait until pre-season comes around as he attempts to force his way into the manager's plans for the 2024 campaign, and he's feeling in a much better place.

Indeed, returning from one long-term injury, let alone two of them, he'll report feeling mentally tougher as a result.

"I missed it so I'm looking forward to getting back," he enthused during an interview on the Journal's 'Talking Derry City' podcast this week before flying off to the Canary Islands this morning.

"It has been tough. I'll take another week off, I'm off to Tenerife, and then it'll be straight back at it again to get ready for pre-season so I can hit the ground running hopefully.

"I had my last surgery last October so, in my head, I was going to play this year. Halfway through the season, when I was coming into it and getting better and doing the rehab, I was thinking, 'Right, I'm going to play this year' but then it came to the stage where I started to slow down and obviously Mickey (Hegarty), it's up to him as well. He sees how I progress and it's up to him really when I'm ready to play.

"We had a chat and what was the point really? But I was coming out of contract and you start talking about those things. It made it tough for me coming towards the end of the season knowing I was out of contract, not knowing what's going to happen next year and knowing I wasn't ready."

As much as it's been a physical challenge rebuilding the strength in his knee, it's equally tested ‘Jackie’s’ mental resolve but he credits being around his teammates, travelling on the team bus to away games and his strong family support network, with his partner Demi and daughter Indie a constant reminder of his reasons to knuckle down in the club gym.

And once he runs back out on the Brandywell pitch with his Derry jersey on, he knows those 'dark days' when he was 'grinding it out' in training alone will be all worthwhile.

"To be fair, I've been grand. Being in and about the boys has helped. Obviously Demi and Indie, my family and everybody has helped me through it. But I had been there before and I just got on with it.

"They've (family) been brilliant honestly. We're going back 20 months, Demi's had to go through it along with me. Indie is young and Demi has had to look after two wains really through plenty of those times bit they've been brilliant," he laughed.

"After the surgery happened all the boys came to visit when I couldn't really move. I have plenty of pictures on my phone of having to get wheeled out on a wheelchair to the car and stuff like that; you realise you were in a bad way.

"But when I look at it now I'm in a great place and ready to get going and looking forward to it. They have all been brilliant and I wouldn't have been able to do it without them really.

"I went in every day and did my work. I don't want to speak too early like I did last year but I'm now over 12 months after my second surgery so I'm a lot better off this time and hopefully that will help coming into pre-season.

"Obviously I got injured in the second game of the season last year. I had a great pre-season and the first two games of the season were Dundalk and Shamrock Rovers - they didn't get much bigger than those. I was going into them feeling good and I was starting and then I hit rock bottom when I got injured.”

It's been a long, lonely road to recovery but was the process made any easier the second time he injured his ACL given he knew exactly what lay ahead?

"No. At the start you're down in the dumps, thinking, 'Why me?' Then you just hit the switch and it's game on again. You have to go at it again and get back into it. You can't feel sorry for yourself.

"You have to get on with it, get it and do your work. The last 12 months have been a blur for me. I'm here now and knew I would get to this stage again. The next two months might be a blur too but there's going to be a day when I'll be back on that pitch and it will all be worth it then."

His rebab journey is dotted with gratifying moments as he's marked every milestone on his route back to the pitch. Indeed one special moment which provided 'Jackie' with hope and 'a new lease of life' was watching his teammate Colm Whelan sending a thunderous strike into the top corner of the Cork net last April on his first game back from a devastating ACL injury which kept him out for 11 months.

Of course the talented striker was to suffer a similar fate as 'Jackie' when he caught his studs in the pitch at Brandywell during the 2-0 loss to Shamrock Rovers back in May.

The pair have helped each other with their respective recuperation processes and 'Jackie' is confident the Ireland U21 international will come back stronger next year.

"Collie, when signed he was coming back from an ACL injury, and seeing him on that day in Cork just gave me the biggest buzz ever.

"Obviously we were close with training with each other for a while before that but seeing him get on and scoring that goal, it just gave me a new lease of life thinking this will be me some day.

"It might not be a goal," he laughed. "But getting on the pitch. It might be a tackle. Each player is different, but it just gave me that buzz. The difference between me and him is I didn't ever get to that stage where I was at the highest of highs.

"Whereas he got to the highest of highs and then brought back to rock bottom. I've no doubt, with the way he trains and the way he is, he will get back out there again soon and come back even better."

Jackie's Derry career has been a bit of a rollercoaster from his days in the Academy to moving to Institute in search of senior football.

With an Irish Cup medal in the bag after a successful spell with Coleraine, he was back at Derry under Declan Devine but after an encouraging start he became disillusioned with a lack of game-time during the forgettable, truncated 'Covid season'.

He was back to his best under Ruaidhri Higgins as Derry went from bottom of the table to once again qualify for Europe as the City boss helped transform his game into a defensive midfielder. And then disaster struck, not once but twice with those ACL injuries.

Higgins felt obliged to offer ‘Jackie’ a new deal from a 'moral standpoint' but also because the player is such a valued member of his squad with plenty more to offer.

"It's been up and down but hopefully I can get back to my best. I've seen all those things being said (about being valued). He has said that to me before and he's mentioned it in his team meetings and for me, they've helped me. Being in there and around them, that's the reason I got through it.

"Obviously I've seen all those comments but it's really them helping me. Being in there keeps me going and takes my mind away from what's really going on and what I have to go through. The lads have pushed me on as well."

And as painful as missing out on the FAI Cup triumph was last year, he has fond memories of that day.

"That cup final, I was standing there suited and booted in crutches but you're better standing there suited and booted in crutches. I used to be a fan and I've been to plenty of cup finals but I'd rather be where I was than being in the stands watching it as a fan. Instead I'm a fan standing there suited and booted. I got a free suit out of it and we won the cup," he laughed.

With regards extending his stay, Harkin admits feeling paranoid about his future but he's delighted to have that security for the next 12 months at least.

"I was a bit paranoid," he admitted. "I didn't know what was going on. I was speaking to Mickey Hegarty and he could see it in my training.

"It was playing with my head. I couldn't train properly or give it 100 per cent because I didn't know what was going on. I didn't know whether I was getting back this year or did I have to get back this year to prove myself so I was stuck in the middle.

"When I was speaking to Mickey I was asking him what he thought I needed to do. Did I need to push it and come back earlier and try to earn a new contract?

"When it came down to it, obviously the club supported me and Ruaidhri was brilliant. He got me signed up for another year which gave me a bit of stability and gave me that chance."

If Derry City didn't have bad luck this year they'd have had no luck at all with key members joining 'Jackie' on the sidelines which also made his recovery period all the more palatable.

"I haven't been the only person injured this year. There's other boys who have been injured as well and I've been training with them.

“They've helped me through it as well because the dark days are when you're in the gym on your own and everyone is training. It's hard to even get through the session when you're sitting there yourself trying to grind it out.

"We have been unlucky with injuries. Speaking about one man, Mickey Duffy broke his leg last year and I don't think he gets the credit he deserves. He's had a great year and I don't think people realise what he's gone through. To be able to come back and be so good still."

Jackie's recovery is going well and the next step is joining in with the rest of the team in training next month. It's a case of so far so good.

"I was in Dublin (on Friday) doing a bit of testing and the scores were good and I've got a lot of strength back.

"There's a few things I need to work on now and when I come back from my holiday next week I've got four to six weeks to work on all those things and make sure I'm ready to go just like any other player in pre-season.

"Obviously there might be a few things that I have to hold back on but come pre-season I want to hit the ground running. Come the start of the year I want to be in with a chance, feel good about myself and be ready to play.

"I've had this conversation with Mickey a lot, even when I'm doing my twists and turns and kicking a ball, I never really think about it (injury). I've got past that stage but I haven't really got to the stage where I would have stepped in for a lot of contact training and got involved more with the boys.

"So that's the next stage, where I can get in there and get stuck in. It has to be done but I'm not going to do that unless I'm strong enough to do it and then I'll be okay."

He's coming back to a vastly different and much improved Derry team when he does return and he's looking forward to seeing what role he can play and doing his bit to help the club bring back that elusive league title - an added motivation for the Creggan man.

"Over the last two years there's been a real push. We have a great squad with great players and we have the right squad to do it. That gives me that extra push.

"I know it would've been brilliant to win the league this year but it gives me that extra push, the thought I could be involved more in it when it does happen and I've no doubt it could happen next year.”