Kenny Bruce sets sights on European group stage football for title winning Larne

The Inver Reds will lift the Gibson Cup for the first time in the club's history after tomorrow night’s clash against Linfield, however, Bruce has his eyes set on further history by becoming the first club from Northern Ireland to reach the group stages of European competition.

"It's a realistic target for Irish League clubs - there's no doubt about it," he told a media briefing.

"We want to ideally be that first team from Northern Ireland to reach the group stages of European competition.

"We think we have all the potential to do that and we will be pushing really, really hard over the next few years to try and achieve that.

"The winners of the title have a great opportunity to get into the Europa Conference League proper.

"I think that helps every club in their aspirations to be sustainable and to invest in its academy and infrastructure.

"Linfield were very close last year and I was absolutely devastated for them as I think they've been a great example of how to challenge in those competitions over many, many years.

"However, I think when one club does it then other clubs will do it there after."

Bruce, who took ownership in 2017 and has invested more than £5 million into his hometown club, outlined that he had full faith that the Inver Reds would become league champions during his tenure although maybe not so soon.

"I was very, very confident that we would get there eventually, whether I thought we would do it in five-and-a-half years I was unsure," he added.

"I had total belief there was a real appetite for football in Larne.

"I had a real belief in the manager and the way he has developed over this period of time that he would get there no question about it.

"All we needed to do was provide him with the resources in the team and I was confident they would be able to go on and execute it at some stage in the future.

"I'm delighted it's sooner rather than later because it gets it off our back and it gives us the opportunity now to be a club that has won a title.

"Hopefully any titles we win going forward should be more straightforward."

Despite the success on the pitch, Bruce remarked that bringing ‘pride’ back to the community of Larne has also been one of his key achievements.

"I thought it was a bit like pushing against an open door," he said when asked about taking over as owner.

"There wasn't a great deal Larne could be particularly proud of at that time, but the community of Larne are very proud people.

"I knew if we could capture the imagination, spell out our real vision and communicate to them really well then I was convinced we could bring people along for the journey.

"There isn't the competition for clubs or activities in Larne like there maybe is in Belfast and other areas.

"I knew if we could get something going and light the fire, then I was convinced we could build momentum and get everyone behind us.

"We have received a fantastic level of support and it's meant an awful lot to the people of Larne.

"Now they walk around all areas of Northern Ireland with their chests puffed out and they feel proud to come from here.

"Being able to bring that sense of community is one of the nicest things the club has been able to do and bring that pride back to Larne.

"We've done an awful lot in the last five-and-a-half years, but I think there's a lot more still to come.

"This gives us a platform to build on and kick on again.

"I think the achievements of Larne over the last few years have impacted other clubs.

"They are investing more in their facilities and academies and in a full-time approach, so that again helps everybody to create more commercial revenue across the whole league.

"I see lots of exciting things from an infrastructure and commercial point for Larne.

"We are very committed to fulfilling those ambitions and seeing more and more of our infrastructure to be the equivalent of what you would see in League One in England."

Bruce, who co-founded online estate agent Purplebricks, paid special tribute to Larne manager Tiernan Lynch for his development in the role as the years progressed.

"I think the big thing for me and being very inexperienced in the football world as I was five-and-a-half years ago, was applying some of the principles I've applied in business," he said.

"The reality is every human being and every leader is capable of making an error or making a mistake.

"What tends to happen in football is when they make a substantial mistake, like losing to St Joseph's in the first round of the Europa Conference League qualifying, some clubs would make the decision to release their manager from their duties.

"We, as a Board, try and encourage Tiernan at any stage over the last five-and-a-half years where things haven't gone to plan to try and reflect in the job.

"We have created those moments where Tiernan has deeply reflected, improved and tweaked and changed things, which makes him a much more rounded manager and people person than he was maybe five-and-a-half years ago.

"We have definitely done that as a team of people and it's paid off significantly for us."

And how will Kenny feel when Larne lift the trophy tomorrow evening?

"I've managed to keep my emotions in check,” he continued.

"I think tomorrow night will be very tough for me personally because there will be a huge amount of emotion across the whole community in Larne and across Inver Park with a host of people there.

"When I look around Inver Park tomorrow and see the level of work that has gone into not only the stadium, the team, the academy, the volunteers and the work which Gareth and the board have done I'm sure there will be a lot of tears from a lot of people.

"I'll find it very difficult to hold that in check but I'll try my very best.”