Gerard O’Kane – Players need a few pints

Players should get to drink a few beers on a night out, according to Gerard O’Kane

In his column in this week’s Gaelic Life, Gerard O’Kane support the argument that team need more bonding nights away from the training field.

“I would say that hard work can be rewarded with a night out with your fellow team mates in which you might find out more about them in that few hours than you did all year.

“It also allows the younger generation to have the craic with the older players. It allows management to break down the barriers with players and for a night, and it allows everyone to forget about the outside world for that five or six hours and just spend some down time together (as long as Snapchat is banned).

“One Derry training weekend was perhaps the best bonding experience that I have ever had. Throw in key words like nightclub, late bar, hotel wedding, scuffle and Gardai you get the jist of it.

“I am not advocating some of the behaviour from that night, but in the long run it did our team no harm as we reached our first Ulster final, (in 2011).”

Read the full article in the current issue of Gaelic Life.