IRISH CUP: Midfielder Harkin loving life mixing it with the big boys

Coleraines Ciaron Harkin tussles with Glenavon midfielder Ciaran Martyn, during their Irish Cup semi-final win at the Ballymena Showgrounds.

A fans' favourite at Institute, midfielder Ciaron Harkin can't wait for Saturday's Tennent's Irish Cup Final, against Linfield.

The 21-year-old - whose nickname ‘Jackie’ came about because, when he was growing up, he supposedly said he was the ‘greatest fighter in Creggan’, comparing himself to ‘Jackie Chan’ - wants to finish his dream first season in the Premiership with Coleraine with a winners’ medal.

“If we win the Irish Cup it definitely would be the best moment in my football career” he insisted.

“All my family are making the trip to Belfast, there’s buses going from Derry, so it will be a big day, not just for myself but for all my family.

“There will be a bit of pressure on me because of that, but it will be a good day out for everyone and I’m looking forward to it.”

Only last month David Healy’s side hammered Coleraine at the Showgrounds, but Harkin believes that result won’t matter this weekend.

“We had a bad result against them a few weeks ago, but that really doesn’t matter,” he said.

“Yes 5-1 doesn’t look good, but that won’t be the way the final is going to be.

“Everyone is just looking to the final and if you take out the 5-1 defeat, we have had a good record against Linfield this season, so we know what we can do against them and we know what way we are going to play against them.”

The midfielder nearly missed his chance of joining the Bannsiders after he re-signed for ’Stute, at the start of the season, but the minute Oran Kearney came back for a second time, his mind was made up.

“That just showed how much the man wanted me,” he stated.

“He obviously liked me as a player and it’s good to have that in the head as well that the manager wants you and likes you as a player, so I just decided to go.