Derry’s priority is producing good players

The current vice chairman of Derry, and former dual All-Star, Kieran McKeever says that coaching rather than success should be the priority in the Oak Leaf county.

McKeever is part of the county board who are trying to bring glory back to Derry in both codes. Yet McKeever’s message to those who desperately want to see trophies return to the county, is that they have to be patient.

“The most important part of Derry’s progress is coaching. Yes we want to be winning on the pitch, and we want success because success breeds success. But every county needs a conveyor belt coming through.

“You need to improve your junior team, to improve your intermediate team to improve your senior team, to improve your county.

“We need to do that in hurlng and football. We want to be the best in hurling and football. We need to keep striving.”

A plan to create a conveyor belt should chime with those who have witnessed Dublin’s great success in the past decade. The Dubs improved fortunes were built on great underage success.

However, Derry are at a much lower ebb than Dublin ever were.

McKeever said: “We sat still for a few years and we ended up in division four. We probably took our eye off the ball. We can’t afford to let that happen again. We need to keep assessing ourselves and keep evolving and then the success will come.”

However, the former Kevin Lynch’s and St Canice’s player is positive about the immediate future of the county.

“I think Derry is in a good place at the minute. The Derry hurlers got to the league final for the second year in a row. We felt that they probably should have progressed.

“They got beat by Down in the Christy Ring but there is a good bunch of hurlers there. They can push on and get out of division two.

“In football I wouldn’t say we were unlucky against Armagh. Armagh are a good team. We had chances but just didn’t take them, but we have a good young team

“Rory has got them organised there now. They are committed.

“I think he has them in a good place, and I think they are going to push on next year. They will do a good winter and pre season training.

“We should be good enough to come out of division three next year. I think they are good enough, and if they apply themselves we can expect big things.”