Article: published on 6 August 2024

It's been a summer of massive change at Coleraine as the Ballycastle Road club adopt a full-time model for the first time.

Rearrangement on the management side has seen long-time boss Oran Kearney move 'upstairs' to take on the role of Sporting Director and former Dungannon Swifts manager Dean Shiels assume the position of head coach.

Developments off the pitch have led to a major overhaul of the playing squad with the departure of swathes of previously key personnel and the arrival of several new faces as the club bid to improve on their sixth place finish last time out.

Transfers In: Cameron Stewart, Dylan Boyle, Kirk McLaughlin, Kyle McClelland [loan], Max Little, Rhyss Campbell, Ciaron Harkin [on loan until Christmas], Kyle Spence, Mackenzie Carse.

Transfers Out: Adam Mullan, Aaron Jarvis, Conor McKendry, Darren Cole, David McDaid, Eamon Fyfe, Jack O'Mahony, Jake Wallace, Josh Carson, Kieran Farren, Luca Doherty [loan], Lee Harkin, Lee Lynch, Lewis Tosh [loan], Martin Gallagher, Rodney Brown, Stephen Lowry, Stephen O'Donnell.

Joel Taggart's Take: This will be fascinating to watch with lots of new faces and a new full time model.

Vast experience has been allowed to leave the club with the departing Lowry, O’Donnell and Carson alone having played over 700 league games for the Bannsiders.

Matthew Shevlin and Jamie McGonigle on top form will trouble any defence in the league but the problem for Coleraine post Christmas last season was very few others were weighing in with goals.

Opening fixtures: 10/8 - Dungannon Swifts (a); 16/8 - Ballymena Utd (h) - live on BBC Sport NI; 20/8 - Glentoran (a); 24/8 - Glenavon (h)