New Irish League manager reveals why former defender who 'I could trust with my life' was first call
After deciding to take over at Dundela alongside John McAllister, there was only one person Clifford Adams wanted to contact next to finalise his backroom team.
Former Ballyclare Comrades boss Adams returned to the hotseat at Wilgar Park last week after eight years as Niall Currie’s number two across spells at Carrick Rangers, Dundela and Portadown.
In his first match, Adams helped end Dundela’s 10-game winless league run at the start of the new Championship campaign, picking up a 1-0 victory over Newington on Saturday.
With highly-rated McAllister in position as assistant manager, Adams has also added Chris Rodgers to his staff – a former Irish League defender he previously worked with at three different clubs.
During trips to matches from Ballymena, the trio would often talk about one day forming a management team with both Adams and McAllister saying if either moved into a top job, they’d bring Rodgers with them.
Adams has kept his word with Rodgers not only providing shrewd tactical knowledge, but also a wealth of experience in conditioning through his job as a personal trainer.
"After John had made his decision, Chrissy was the first person we wanted to bring in,” said Adams. “He'll bring his professional touch to the players...we're all professional, but with the way Chrissy leads his life daily, he's an absolute athlete.
"He's probably in better condition now than when he was playing, and he was in top condition then!
"Chrissy spent a lot of time with us as a player at Carrick, Dundela, Portadown, and we always would have travelled together going to the games.
"We all come from the Ballymena area and it was something we'd always talk about that if any of us were in a job that we'd bring Chrissy in because he's a very clever guy when it comes to football and the tactical side of things.
"The biggest thing he has is you'll never meet a more professional sportsman in your life. He's another loyal man who I could trust with my life."
Rodgers’ last appearance came in Portadown’s Irish Cup quarter-final defeat to Cliftonville in March 2024 – the centre-back returned less than four months after suffering an ACL injury when it was predicted his season was over.
It wasn’t the first time Adams witnessed Rodgers take to the pitch when not many others would, and he feels that battling mentality will be a key trait in his first Irish League coaching role.
"We were struggling for the Irish Cup quarter-final and he volunteered...we all thought he was mad but his words were 'what's the worst that can happen? My ACL is gone',” added Adams. “He was outstanding...what other player would do that?
"It's the sort of person he is. He would play on one leg if he had to.
"I remember down at Carrick he had a pin stuck in his finger after an operation and wasn't supposed to be playing, but he wrapped something that looked like an oven glove around his hand to play the match.
"He's loyal and will do anything he can for you. When you're in a management team, you can't have enough people like that around you.
"That's the way we were with Niall, (Steven) Hyndes and the boys, we're all lads who were right behind the manager and whatever he wanted we did."