Former Irish League boss: Conor McMenamin is the best I managed - I tried to sign him again at Portadown

Tipton first met McMenamin when the pair were both on the books at Linfield – the former an experienced striker who had enjoyed spells in the professional ranks while the latter was getting a first taste of senior football.

With stints at the Irish League’s ‘Big Two’ – Linfield and Glentoran – ultimately not working out for McMenamin, Tipton, who was now in charge of Warrenpoint Town, made his move for a player he knew possessed the ability to thrive in the Irish League.

It was his time at Milltown under Tipton that set McMenamin on the path to stardom, helping Warrenpoint win the Championship title to seal their top-flight return.

McMenamin, who was aged 21 when he arrived in Warrenpoint, highlighted Tipton’s influence, saying at the time “if it wasn’t for Matthew Tipton I doubt I’d now be at Warrenpoint – he gave me so much help at Linfield and kept in contact, pushing me on and helping me out”.

His career continued in an upward trajectory with successful spells at Cliftonville and Glentoran – he was widely-regarded as the Irish League’s best player during a prolific stint at The Oval – before earning a move to Scotland with St Mirren.

Tipton and McMenamin both departed Warrenpoint in 2018 – the manager took on the top job at Portadown and tried to seal a reunion with his star talent that summer, but the attacker opted for Solitude instead.

"Tactically, Conor is the best player I ever managed,” said Tipton. “Whatever role or responsibility you gave him, he picked it up.

"He was an athlete, he could run, glide with the ball, without the ball he covered the ground brilliantly.

"He was brilliant to manage because I knew his mannerisms...Conor likes a laugh and joke with the best of them, but when it's time to work, he does that.

"When I left Warrenpoint, every transfer window I tried to make him my number one target at Portadown, but he went to Cliftonville and then onto Glentoran.

"I would have loved to work with him again...that opportunity never came, but I always think if you've worked with a player and want to sign them again that it speaks very highly of that player.”

Since departing Warrenpoint, McMenamin has gone on to earn 14 caps for Northern Ireland, scoring his maiden international goal against San Marino in 2023, and started in a Scottish League Cup final as St Mirren defeated Celtic at Hampden Park.

While the traditional path to England or Scotland often involves moving as a teenager and progressing through a club’s academy, McMenamin took a different road, making the switch to Paisley aged 27.

From their days together at Windsor Park and Warrenpoint, Tipton always knew McMenamin had the ability to make his dream a reality.

"Even as a young player at Linfield, I felt he had a chance to go across the water,” he added. “I know he went across briefly but it just didn't work out.

"With Conor, it was how he was going to settle off the field, was he going to dedicate his life to it?

"The second chance he got at Glentoran under Mick (McDermott), who was a good man-manager, he was brilliant.

"It was when he was at Cliftonville that I thought he had a real chance (of going across the water), but you wondered if he was too old.

"I never had doubts about his ability that he was good enough to go across the water and pick up international honours, but I felt by the time he went to Glentoran that it could have been too late for him. I was delighted for him when it did happen.”

After three years in Scotland, McMenamin has now returned to the Irish League with Coleraine as Ruaidhri Higgins’ latest star recruit.

His arrival solidifies the Bannsiders’ status as Gibson Cup favourites with McMenamin making up a frightening attack force alongside Matthew Shevlin and Joel Cooper, while the trio will be fed by Will Patching.

McMenamin could prove to be the final piece to Coleraine’s puzzle as they set their sights on winning a first league title since 1974 and Tipton feels it’s a statement signing.

"I was chatting to him a couple weeks ago with the birth of his child (Saint) and I'd heard a couple of things about him coming back...we're nosey in football so I was asking what was going on!” he said. “He had a couple of offers on the table and I think the time was right for him.

"He's just had another baby, his daughter Daisy is probably 10 or 11, he's been beset by injuries for the last year at St Mirren, they’ve had a change of manager there, I think now the time is right to come back with the ambitions Coleraine have.

"There's a chance to go and win trophies. Conor has been ambitious his whole life, he has always wanted to be successful and he's maybe now looking at it thinking this is as good a chance as any to come back and get a league title under his belt.

"Looking at what Coleraine had already last season with the likes of Joel Cooper, Matthew Shevlin, Will Patching, they've serious firepower and have a very solid defence – Conor coming into that can only improve their chances.”