'It just shows you that the standard is good': Coleraine star on why so many Scottish players are making the move to the Irish League
Jay Henderson says the influx of Scottish players to the Irish League shows just how appealing the highest level of the domestic game is here.
Henderson is one of a number of Scottish players who have recently crossed the Irish Sea to play their trade in the BOYLE Sports Premiership.
The talented attacker is joined in the Coleraine changing room by his fellow countrymen Aidan Wilson, Lewis McGregor, Connor Murray, Adam Brooks and Joe Thomson.
Meanwhile, there is a strong core of Scottish players at other clubs such as Cliftonville, Crusaders and Linfield.
Henderson signed for Coleraine this summer following a spell at Ross County and scored in Saturday’s victory against Crusaders as the Bannsiders remained top-of-the-table.
But did the fact so many Scottish players are playing in the Irish League sway his decision to join the ranks at The Showgrounds?
He replied: “It was not an important factor coming over, but obviously I knew a few and I knew the standard in the league and it just shows you that the standard is good or you wouldn't get all your boys coming across the water.
"It just shows how appealing the league is and obviously decent Scottish boys as well in the league and they're all good lads.
"I asked a couple before I came over and they had nothing but good words to say about the league and the clubs they were at.
"It was obviously a factor before I came over and it's good to see them all in the games and stuff and hopefully we can beat them all except for the boys in our team.”
Henderson was a part of the Coleraine squad that were involved in European football this summer as they were beaten by HJK Helsinki in the Conference League.
The former St Mirren man has suggested that the lure of playing on the European stage is a big incentive for those not only from Scotland but all parts of the world to make the move to the Irish League.
"The fact that you can play in Europe is obviously a big pull and the league is quite condensed, a bit like the Scottish Championship and stuff,” he claimed.
"That is a big factor obviously. I think everybody when they're young, they want to play in the highest stage possible and in Europe, we got a wee taste of that at the start of the season and it shows the standard that we need to get to.
"Obviously we've got a good standard now between the boys but it just shows you the levels above and we're striving to get there.
"It's not just Scottish and Northern Irish lads here, we've obviously got Patch (William Patching) from England and a few other boys obviously from different areas.
"I think the more exposure the league gets, the better it gets.”
Henderson also netted a treble in last Tuesday’s North-West Senior Cup quarter-final tie against Dergview, making it four goals across the week.
"It's been a good week,” he smiled.
"Obviously, two wins is the most important thing, especially winning in the league helps keep the momentum going.”