The Mayo News

FOOTBALL Ray Dempsey was ratified as the new Mayo U-21 football manager last week. He talked to Mike Finnerty. New U-21 boss planning ahead already


Mike Finnerty

RAY DEMPSEY was ratified as the new Mayo U-21 football manager last week, and immediately turned his attentions to getting his players ready for the onerous task of defending their Connacht title in 2010.
Speaking to The Mayo News, Dempsey said that Galway had “already done some work” ahead of next season’s Connacht U-21 championship and called on players eligible to play for Mayo next year to “get themselves ready to give themselves the best possible opportunity to play county football”.
“I’m honoured to be given this opportunity,” explained the Knockmore clubman, who has been managing the Mayo minor footballers for the last three years.
“After Pat, Noel and Micheál stepped down, we weighed up our options as a management team and felt that the best thing for Mayo football was to try and have some continuity between the groups that we had worked closely with over the last three years at minor level.”
The 2007 Mayo minor squad were knocked out of the Connacht championship after one game, so next year’s U-21 campaign could be a chance for them to put the record straight.
“I think they have a point to prove as footballers,” said Ray Dempsey. “They want to develop and they want to have a say in Mayo football going forward. That’s the most thing I’ll be looking for once we meet up. That these lads know where they have to go, and where they want to go, as footballers.
“They’ll be the kind of footballers and characters that I’ll be looking for. Guys that want to be successful and that will put the hard work in on the training field.”
The new manager added that trials will be held in the New Year for all footballers eligible, and interested, to play with the Mayo U-21 squad in 2010. “The door is open for everyone,” he concluded.

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