Having worked under some of the Irish League’s greatest managers, Aaron Hogg is keen to use lessons learnt throughout a two-decade playing career and forge his own dugout path.

After spells at Crusaders, Portadown, Glentoran, Ards, Carrick Rangers and Dundela, Hogg has decided to hang up his goalkeeper gloves with thoughts quickly turning to the next chapter.

Hogg came through the youth ranks at The Oval when Roy Coyle – an Irish League legend who won 50 trophies as a manager – was in charge at Glentoran before joining Stephen Baxter’s Crues.

Ronnie McFall, who managed more than 1,400 matches across nearly 30 years as Portadown boss, then brought Hogg to Shamrock Park in 2011.

placeholder image — Aaron Hogg produces a save for Portadown against rivals Glenavon during his time at Shamrock Park. (Photo by INPHO/Stephen Hamilton)

As Hogg now prepares for life beyond the pitch, the 38-year-old could hardly have wished for a better insight into what makes a successful boss.

The managers 38-year-old Hogg worked under all had different characteristics which helped make them great and he’s aiming to take the best parts and mould them into his own style.

"I have been blessed,” he said. “I came through at Glentoran under Roy Coyle, then I had Stephen Baxter at Crusaders, Ronnie McFall at Portadown, Scott Young, Eddie Patterson at Glentoran, then the person who gave me the most out of my career, Niall Currie - everywhere Niall went, he signed me!

"I've had so many great managers where it has been a privilege to work under them.

"I have taken bits from all of them, all of them had different styles – some of them would be about discipline, some have fantastic man-management skills, some demanded respect, and there's others who are great coaches.

"I have taken wee bits from all of them and learnt along the way. When it's coming towards the end you start to think 'what am I going to do next?' and when I sat down to think about it, coaching and management is what I'd like to do."

A natural progression step for Hogg could be viewed as goalkeeping coach considering his 20 years of senior Irish League experience, but the ultimate dream is to one day become a manager in his own right.

Hogg has started the process of obtaining his coaching badges with the Irish FA, currently working towards UEFA’s B Licence, but insists he’s in no rush as he weighs up the next step.

“My goal is to be a manager,” he added. "I'm going into coaching, I've started my B Licence, so that is the plan to go into some coaching.

"I want to stay in the game. Getting the B licence would allow me to coach at most levels if I wanted to and start on that journey.

"I have had a few phone calls already about different roles like goalkeeping coach and things like that, but I'm going to take my time.

"My end goal is I would like to manage, I would like to coach in the Irish League, not just being a goalkeeper coach but managing a club.

"I'd like to do that, but I know it's a long way off, so if I can start at the bottom, learning and understanding what it takes to be a manager, that's what I want to do.”

Hogg had previously contemplated retirement after helping Portadown secure their immediate Premiership return in 2024 before reconsidering and joining Dundela, who were managed by good friend Stephen Gourley.

With the introduction of full-time football in Northern Ireland’s top-flight and standards of professionalism continuing to rise, it has had a knock-on effect for the Championship with demands now greater than ever if clubs want to compete for honours.

After suffering a host of injuries throughout his career – training became almost impossible last season due to a number of niggles – Hogg knew this summer was the right time to call it quits and is now able to reflect with pride.

"I was going to retire after Portadown, we'd won the Championship, got to the final of the League Cup, won the Mid-Ulster Cup and got to the Irish Cup quarter-finals,” he said. “It was a long, successful year, had the kids on the pitch and all that good stuff.

"Stephen Gourley is a family friend and he always asked if I would give him a couple of years at the end and play for Dundela.

"That suited me the last two years. I had 20 or 21 seasons, and 16 of them were in the Premiership, I won the Championship with Portadown and got promoted with Carrick.

"I look back and think 'you've done ok'. If you had offered me 21 years playing in the Irish League back at the start, I would have snapped your hand off for it.

"The Championship will be 16 teams next season, then you have Irish Cup, Co Antrim Shield, League Cup, it's game after game.

"You're asking boys to be super fit to compete against full-time players.

"When I was at Carrick, I was competing against these clubs and having to be as fit as them, then not getting home to 11pm or later some nights, you're not able to sleep, and then up for work in the morning.

"It's huge demands on players and I can't do it anymore. It's different when you're young and you can bounce out of bed to go to work, but when it's starting to affect your work the next day, it's time to go.”