Biography
Having began playing football with his local side Larne Youth, his football career began with the short journey across the Irish Sea to Ayr United in 2000 who were competing in the Scottish First Division at the turn of the millennium.
At the end of the 2003/2004 season Black moved on from Ayr United, having also been on trial at Dundee United a proposed move to Inverness Caledonian Thistle broke down at the last minute due to financial difficulties. With the new season imminent, it was former Rangers midfielder Russell Latapy who set up Aaron with a move to his native Trinidad and Tobago with W Connection.
A successful season followed in the Caribbean with PSV Eindhoven and Colarado Rapids apparently interested in the Larne native, who was part of a team that won the Trinidad and Tobago League Cup. In June 2005, Black returned back to the more familiar climate of Northern Ireland, signing for Tommy Kincaid's newly promoted Glenavon. Kincaid left the Lurgan Blues a month later, to be replaced by Jimmy Brown, Aaron's stay at Glenavon lasted only 18 months, with another new manager (Colin Malone) now in charge.
Larne manager Paul Curran tempted Black to sign for his hometown club in December 2006 (signing on his 23rd birthday!) and duly assisted keeping the Inver Reds up having joined the club when they were rooted to the bottom of the league. Black was reunited with younger brother Ross ahead of the 2007/2008, the pair had had a brief stint at Glenavon together the previous season but they both lined out at Inver Park as part of a real family affair with father
ohneen, a first team coach with the club.
With Larne not applying to be part of the new IFA Premiership for 2008/2009, Crusaders manager Stephen Baxter brought Black to Seaview on a two year deal. It proved a masterstroke as Aaron contributed 16 goals from midfield and also won the 2009 Irish Cup in his first season, beating Cliftonville in the final after having scored in the semi-final win over Institute at the Showgrounds. The start of Aaron's injury problems occurred in the 2009/2010 season, attributed to the plastic surface at Seaview, but despite this he won the County Antrim Shield with the Crues. An offer of a new two year contract was reluctantly rejected to preserve his long term fitness as he subsequently returned to a grass pitch, signing for two years at Coleraine.
David Platt had signed Black but his tenure didn't last the season, as the manger was without Black for long periods due to injury (and also suspension having been sent off on his debut against Crusaders!). Oran Kearney came into the club in February 2011 and by the end of the season the two parties agreed to mutually terminate Aaron's contract due to combination of injuries and travelling. Rival boss Roy Walker at Ballymena United spotted an opportunity to once again reunited the brothers Black (with Ross also joining from Newry City) in May 2011.
Unfortunately Aaron will go down as having one of the shortest ever Ballymena United careers, as he was sent off just seven minutes into his debut in August 2011 against Glenavon after only coming on as a substitute. In a shock move a few days later, he requested to cancel his contract and went into semi-retirement from the game.
Following an extended break from the game, Aaron was teased back to the Amateur League with local side Wellington Rec. towards the end of the 2012/2013 season. He subsequently returned to the Irish League with Larne ahead of the 2013/2014 but didn't feature much for the Championship 1 side. Another break from football followed before appearing briefly at Rathfriland Rangers alongside James Costello and brother Ross (the fourth consecutive club they were paired at) in the Amateur League during the 2015/2016 season.
In January 2017, Aaron took his first steps into coaching taking over as manager at Rathfriland following the sudden departure of veteran manager Paul Kirk who left the club top of the League and also having won the Border Cup already a month previous.
Last updated: 2 May 2017
Last updated: 12 June 2021
