'No-one gave us a chance': Larne star reveals how doubters provided Irish League title 'motivation'

Larne endured a tumultuous start to the current campaign with Kenny Bruce selling his ownership stake to Redball Global in July before manager Nathan Rooney departed after just one match of the Premiership season.

Gary Haveron was initially named interim boss for a second time but was promoted to permanent chief following a superb run of form.

Having served on Tiernan Lynch’s coaching staff during Larne’s consecutive Premiership title triumphs in 2023 and 2024, Haveron is now on the cusp of winning a Gibson Cup in his own right with his side carrying a three-point advantage into the final fixture against Dungannon Swifts.

Cosgrove has been an influential figure throughout the Co Antrim club’s golden period of success, arriving from Cliftonville in 2018, and holds a special place in Larne history having captained them to maiden top-flight glory.

After Linfield won the title by 22 points and Coleraine and Glentoran made a splash in the transfer market, not many tipped Larne as champions ahead of this term.

However, they’ve set the pace for a large majority of the season and Cosgrove has revealed the doubters provided fuel for the changing room.

"No one spoke about us at the start of the season – we were meant to finish fifth,” he said. “Everyone was talking about how it would be Coleraine, Glentoran and Linfield.

"For us to even be a part of this...we were saying that at the start of the season, no one gave us a chance.

"That is motivation for me. You have to use your own motivation sometimes when you're a champion and everyone tries to come and take your crown off you.

"That's when you have to use motivation and then there's motivation if everyone's against you, it works both ways.

"You just try and find any edge you can. It was probably nothing to do with the players, it's probably all the background noise going on with Kenny leaving, people said the bubble had burst, I heard everything.

"We have it in our hands to win the league – what more could you ask for at the start of the season? I know everyone will give it everything.”

Having collected two winners’ medals during his time at Cliftonville, Cosgrove is aiming to seal a fifth Irish League title this weekend.

The 33-year-old has shown no sign of slowing down, making 33 or more league appearances across each of the past five seasons, but insists he isn’t taking anything for granted at this stage of his career.

"It's massive to get that honour of being captain,” he added. “To go for a third league title at Larne and fifth overall, sometimes you don't think you're going to win anything.

“The next one is the best one because you don't know when they're going to come around again, I don't know how long I have left.

"I'm 33 now, you don't know how long you have left. I have young children, I don't know what I'm going to do.

"It's brilliant to get there and hopefully I can lift it again because your family and all come, it's a great occasion.”