Ruaidhri Higgins excited to work with 'winner' Joel Cooper after Coleraine move made official
Coleraine manager Ruaidhri Higgins admits he’s excited to work with “winner” Joel Cooper after his move from Linfield was officially confirmed.
News of Cooper’s transfer to the Bannsiders was first reported in December and the former Oxford United star arrives at The Showgrounds as the reigning NIFWA Player of the Year and Ulster Footballer of the Year following his role in the Blues’ Premiership title success.
The 29-year-old scored 19 league goals for David Healy’s side last term as they reclaimed the Gibson Cup and booked their Champions League return this summer.
Cooper originally joined Linfield from Glenavon, where he won the 2015/16 Irish Cup, in 2018 and earned his move across the water to Oxford two years later after impressive Irish League form.
He returned to Windsor Park on loan in 2021, helping Healy’s men seal Premiership and Irish Cup glory, and made a permanent move back to the South Belfast outfit the following year.
In total, Cooper lifted four league titles, two League Cups and an Irish Cup during a trophy-laden Linfield chapter and Higgins feels his new talisman will lift standards at the club.
“Joel is obviously a winner, he’s won over and over again and knows what it takes,” said Higgins. “He’s an extremely talented footballer that anyone would want to work with.
“I’m excited to start working with him and the conversations I’ve had with Joel, he’s a very driven individual and he will come here looking to achieve and take this club to the next level.
“If you want to achieve and get other players to follow – you need winners in your changing room and I think he will lead with his actions.
“What he achieved last season was incredible and I think he will be absolutely brilliant for this football club.”
Cooper becomes the third summer arrival at Coleraine following Kodi Lyons-Foster and Stephen Fallon as Higgins’ men look to target major honours next season.
New majority owner Henry Ross has previously spoken about his desire to turn Coleraine into the Irish League’s “leading club” and the addition of Cooper – alongside other star names – is certainly a massive stride towards potentially achieving that objective.
Cooper’s former Linfield team-mate Fallon, who had also previously agreed a move to the County Londonderry club, was unveiled as a Coleraine player on Tuesday and says he felt it was the right time for a new challenge.
"I’m looking forward to getting started and I’m glad to get it done,” Fallon told the club’s media channel. “I loved my time at Linfield.
"I spent nine years there, met good people, played with fantastic players, but I think it was time for something new and a new challenge.
"I’m looking forward to getting started. Speaking to people around the club about their ideas, the project and they’ve made me feel welcome and wanted.
"The past couple of seasons haven’t been great in terms of injuries but I finished the season off coming back into training and I’m back fit ready to go in pre-season.
"Joel’s coming in so I’ve played with him, I know Levi, played with Lyndon, Matthew Shevlin, Jack Scott, so I know a good chunk of the changing room.”