Larne head coach Gary Haveron believes Dylan Sloan has the potential to “go as far as he wants” in football and insists his side won’t give up on their Premiership title hat-trick dream until the race is officially over.

The Inver Reds’ bid for a third consecutive Gibson Cup crown suffered a hammer blow earlier this week when they lost to Linfield – a result which means David Healy’s men now hold a 25-point advantage over Larne, who still have five matches in hand.

It has been a rollercoaster season for Larne, enjoying the highs of creating Irish League history by qualifying for the UEFA Conference League, but have since lost long-serving manager Tiernan Lynch to Derry City while his successor Nathan Rooney was quickly moved into a new Head of Football position due to not holding the required licence to manage in Europe.

One of the shining lights throughout recent months has been 20-year-old midfielder Sloan, who has scored three times in seven Premiership matches this calendar year and racked up another 20 league appearances in the early stages of a promising career.

placeholder image — Larne head coach Gary Haveron. (Photo by Andrew McCarroll/ Pacemaker Press)

Sloan played a key role in Larne’s successful title defence last term and featured in all six Conference League fixtures, gaining valuable experience on the European stage.

He was one of the first players to progress through the club’s scholarship programme into the senior squad and Haveron has full belief that Sloan possesses the quality to forge a successful career.

"Dylan Sloan has played nearly every minute since the start of this season and is 45 games deep,” he said. “Ideally a young player like Dylan you'd take out in certain games, rest him - not that he wants to be rested.

"It has been a long season to this point, but would anybody in our league not want to swap positions with us? Would any other club not have wanted to have that European campaign and experience?

"Dylan has nearly 20 European games under his belt which is an unbelievable education for him.

"His market value goes through the roof because he knows he can play in the Conference League and is capable of playing at that level.

"I believe this kid can go as far as he wants and getting that European experience will only benefit him and make him a better player.

"Every single team in this league should want to get group stages and everybody who works in football in Northern Ireland should want that experience because it's the pinnacle of football.

"They've tasted what it's like and the hunger hasn't waned for wanting it again. Our boys get opportunities that players in the Championship and lower-half of the Premier League will never experience.

"You can play in the Premier League and never experience European football, but the likes of Dylan have 20 games under his belt and equipped himself very well."

While Linfield are overwhelming title favourites given their current advantage, Haveron wants his Larne side to focus on themselves ahead of Saturday’s trip to Portadown.

"I go back to the Carrick game at home where we dropped two points and it felt like it was a key moment,” he added. “We dropped points at Portadown too so we've dropped points in other places...it's not over.

"Until it's over we'll keep fighting for what we want. We want to give a best account of ourselves in every game we play in so we go after three points on Saturday and see where it takes us."