Uefa Conference League: ‘Larne have great chance to showcase NIFL on European stage’

Larne have a “great chance” of qualifying for the Uefa Conference League but their play-off against Lincoln Red Imps “won’t be easy”, says Desi Curry, who has held high-profile roles in both the Northern Ireland and Gibraltar football structures.

After serving as the Irish FA’s technical director, Curry spent five years in a similar role with the Gibraltar FA between 2017 and 2022 and had a spell in charge of their national team, which included several Lincoln players.

“For Larne, it’s fantastic opportunity and they’ll be very well prepared for that,” Curry told BBC Sport NI.

“I think they have a great chance but over two legs it’s not going to be an easy game.

“Both teams will be giving it their all because the financial rewards are so big but it’s a great opportunity for Northern Ireland football to showcase the NIFL league on the European stage.”

With several Red Imps players boasting international caps and experience of having played at Estadio Algarve in Faro – the venue for Thursday’s first leg – Curry warns that the Gibraltarian champions will not be overawed by the occasion.

Indeed, they famously beat Celtic in 2016 and qualified for the 2021-22 Conference League group stage.

“Going to that stadium and playing in a game like this, 50 or 60% of their squad have international experience and playing against teams like the Netherlands, Norway and France,” added Curry.

“So for many of them this will not necessarily be a big occasion. It’ll be a run-of-the-mill game.”

Who are Lincoln Red Imps, the side standing between Larne and history?