AS Gareth McAuley returned to Coleraine to open up the SuperCupNI tournament, our media officer Johnny McNabb asked the former defender to reflect on his time at The Showgrounds…

After leaving Crusaders, McAuley joined the Bannsiders under Marty Quinn at the start of the 2002-03 season and netted on his debut in an Intertoto Cup tie against Andorran side St Julia.

He would go on to lift the Irish Cup later that campaign as Jody Tolan’s goal famously downed Glentoran to end a 26-year end to lift the famous trophy.

Coleraine lost out to Glentoran a year later in the showpiece decider as McAuley’s eye-catching performances earned him a move to the-then League Two side Lincoln City.

From there, his career progressed as moves quickly followed to Leicester City and Ipswich Town, before playing Premier League football at West Bromwich Albion. He announced his retirement from the game after a season at Rangers in September 2019.

‘Big G’ also starred on the international stage as he won 80 caps for Northern Ireland and famously scored in the Euro 2016 victory against Ukraine.

Despite the glitz and glamour of his career at the top of the game both domestically and internationally, how does McAuley look back on his time at The Showgrounds?

He said: “I was the baby of that group really…I was in my early 20s.

“It was an unbelievable education for me. One with Marty and stuff like that, when he twisted my arm and got me to go up there.

“I signed straight away and then I was off on a European journey and scored in the Intertoto Cup – you don’t even have that competition any more, do you?

“They were Irish League household names that I was playing with and soaking up like a sponge and getting a real education off.

“It was a great time and that education side of it was vastly important for me.

“Gacky and I had a bet as to who scored the most goals but I was never winning that.

He was always on the goal line, stealing everybody else’s shots. Poacher.”

McAuley is currently the manager of Northern Ireland U19’s and he has tipped Senan Devine, a player he has worked with, to be a smash-hit during his loan spell at H&W Welders.

“Senan’s a good kid…when I use him, I play him as a wing-back on either side,” he added.

“He never lets you down. He played up a year for me last year and did really, really well.

“I have a lot of time for him. Going out on loan will be good for him.

“It’ll be down to him. He’s playing at a good level. Can he showcase that? Can he go in there and get into where he’s playing and force himself into the XI at Coleraine? That would be great to see.”