Carrick Rangers' one-club man Glenn Taggart inspired by Man Utd legend Ryan Giggs

Carrick Rangers take on Ballymena United in the Northern Ireland League Cup final, live on Sky Sports on Saturday. We caught up with Carrick legend Glenn Taggart to discuss his 20-year spell at the club and look ahead to one of the biggest matches of his career so far…

Glenn Taggart could be described as Carrick Rangers' version of Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs. The 36-year-old is a one-club man, spending his whole career at Carrick. He's made over 500 appearances for the club during a 20-year career to become their longest-serving player.

He's even managed the club on three separate occasions in a caretaker capacity but his playing career is far from done as he prepares for the biggest match of his career as Carrick take on Ballymena United in the Northern Ireland League Cup final on Saturday.

Talking about his 'amazing' record as the club's longest serving player, Taggart, who is a Manchester United fan, insists his rise through the ranks is something that has been inspired by Giggs' career at Old Trafford.

"I'm a massive Manchester United fan and watching the likes of Ryan Giggs reach certain milestones at Old Trafford has inspired me. The record is something I will look back on more when I'm retired but at the moment I've put it to the back of my head because if you start looking at sentiment too much that's probably the time to retire. However, I'm very proud and it's something I had as a 16-year-old in my head."

Since Taggart made his Carrick Rangers debut on February 8, 1997, there have been many highlights during his time at Taylor's Avenue.

He picks out his debut as a 16-year-old through to captaining the club and becoming the manager as high points, but even he admits they would be topped by victory on Saturday at Seaview.

Live Northern Ireland League Cup Final

"When you win trophies they automatically jump above anything achieved before," Taggart tells Sky Sports. "It's a huge game for the club. I was there in the crowd in 1993, which was the last time the club won a major final. Certainly it's the biggest game from my time at the club and if we're lucky enough to get the win on Saturday it will be my number one achievement."

Taggart has made over 500 appearances for Carrick Rangers, helping them to two First Division title wins, two Intermediate Cups, a Steel & Sons Cup and a Daily Mirror trophy success, and he feels his experience can play a huge part as Aaron Callaghan's side look to lift the League Cup for the first time in their history.

"I can bring a lot to the table in terms of helping the younger players," he added. "When you are young you always think you've got another cup final around the corner, but I'm not sure they realise that when you do make it to a final you have to make sure you make it count.

"Some great teams have made finals over the years but they've never won it and that's something I'll be telling the squad. This is my first major cup final in 20 years so when it comes along you have to grab the opportunity with both hands and do whatever it takes to lift the cup because it might never come around again."

If I'd have gone to a different team in the league, yes, I would have been more successful in terms of silverware but at the same time it's always been Carrick.

Striker Adam Salley, who was just one day old when Taggart made his Carrick debut in 1997, is part of the younger generation at club, and the players get younger and younger around him, Taggart is still confident he has the ability to mix it with the younger legs in the squad.

He said: "It's always been in my head that if you can do the running and the fitness side of things I've always been quietly confident in my own ability. It is scary that they are that much younger than me but that's where I use my experience."

Taggart has seen it all during his time at Carrick. He has played under 11 managers at the club - a number which he thinks could be even higher if you take into consideration caretaker managers during his time at the club - and seen promotions and relegation at the club. He's even managed the team, which he says was an easy role to take.

"That makes me sound really old," Taggart said. "It was another dream come true for me what with being a local lad. However, at the time I had just had a baby girl so I was quite happy to hand over the reins to the next manager coming in. Joking aside, whatever the club have thrown at me over the years I've taken on.

"It's something I've always thought about though. Even as a young lad I thought it was the right progression to captain a team and then manage the team. It was something I did without thinking about it too much because it was a real honour to manage my hometown club."

But were there any opportunities to move away from Carrick? Taggart had spells on trial with both Arsenal and Rangers as a youngster and even had the opportunity to sign a professional deal at Wimbledon, but the pull of home was too much for him to resist even if a move could have meant more silverware.

Taggart said: "As a youngster I was over at Wimbledon playing and at 16 they offered me a professional contract but even then I had it in my head that I wanted to be at Carrick. I had the opportunity [to leave] and I seriously considered it but I couldn't see myself away from family and friends.

"Locally, I've spoken to a few teams over the years but no club has the pull of my hometown club. If I'd have gone to a different team in the league, yes, I would have been more successful in terms of silverware but at the same time it's always been Carrick. I'm from Carrick, I've lived in Carrick all my life and another club cannot offer me that."

Taggart has scored around 45 goals during his 20 years at the club but they have dried up in recent years with his last strike coming in May 2011 in a win over Ballinamallard at Taylor's Avenue. So what odds the Carrick legend will pop up with the winner that sees his side lift the League Cup for the first time?

"I have a joke with my friends, saying I'm not a good goalscorer but I'm a scorer of good goals," Taggart said. "To score the winner in the cup final or to even just score in the final it would be a complete dream. If I could put 'Glenn Taggart wins the cup for Carrick' on my CV, I'd be mighty pleased."

Sky Sports will show a selection of Northern Irish Football League matches over the next six years as part of a new deal. The agreement, which covers the current campaign and runs a further five seasons until the end of the 2021/22 term, will see five Danske Bank Premiership fixtures, as well as the Northern Irish League Cup final broadcast live on Sky Sports. And Taggart has admitted playing in front of the Sky Sports cameras has brought an added excitement to the Carrick squad.

Northern Irish football on Sky

Sky Sports will show a selection of Northern Irish Football League matches

"It's massive to have Sky Sports covering the game," he said. "You don't want to think about cameras but it is part of making great cup finals. The boys are buzzing in training talking about it and it even adds a little bit because you don't want to be the one to miss out on a massive occasion.

He added: "The deal's huge for the game in Northern Ireland. Over the last 15 to 20 years people's opinions and views on football in Northern Ireland have dwindled. They don't see it as being a big country for football. But in the Euros and the World Cup qualifiers Northern Ireland are doing well at the moment and along with Sky Sports coming on board, that's given football in this country huge lift. They allow us to showcase Northern Irish football and get a few more British eyes on the game in this country."

Watch the Northern Ireland League Cup Final between Ballymena United v Carrick Rangers live on Sky Sports 2, from 5.25pm on Saturday.