At 37, Raffaele Cretaro admits he could be enjoying retirement, but the lure of another year in the Premier Division proved too good to turn down.
Finn Harps manager Ollie Horgan had tried to lure Cretaro to Finn Park several times. In December, he finally got his man.
Cretaro had hardly pulled the door of the Showgrounds behind him for the final time when Horgan was back on the case.
Cretaro is an icon at Sligo Rovers, for whom he scored 86 goals in 531 appearances. He called time on his career at the Bit O’Red in December and quickly checked in at newly-promoted Harps.
“I’ve been talking to Ollie a lot and we struck an off-field friendship,” Cretaro says.
“I admire him as a manager, a coach and a person. He’s a gentleman.
“At 37 people might say I should have my slippers on and be relaxing in front of the fire. I still have the fire in my belly and I want to go an achieve something with Finn Harps.”
Cretaro is eager to get a run of games up front for Harps and is aiming to recapture his scoring touch.
“That’s what I’m here to do and there’s no hiding from that,” he says.
“Ollie knows what I can do and he knows what I’ll bring to the party. Please God I’ll reward his faith in me.”
Listen to the full interview below …