Mayo manager Andy Moran - “I have this kind of fascination with people saying it's too early”

Mayo manager Andy Moran has said that he doesn't buy into the fact that you have to be 21 years of age to play senior inter-county football. 

While addressing the media as part of an initiative with FBD, Moran said “I have this kind of fascination with people saying, it's too early and it's this and it's that. We would have multiple under 20 lads and 18, 19, 20 year olds that I feel are ready to play football at senior level. We'll be looking to get them in over the next couple of months and push on and play from now on.

“I can't see why these guys, they've been doing S&C since they were 14 and in these development camps and all of a sudden, they're not ready to play senior inter county football until they're 21, 22. I don't buy into that. You see  Matthew Thompson last year, an exceptional young man playing for Galway and well able to play at 20 years of age.”

When asked if the likes of Kobe McDonald, Darragh Beirne, Tom Lydon would be part of this year’s senior campaign or would they be focused on the U-20’s, Moran explained “they're absolutely in our plans. Now Tom is part of the U-20’s but Darragh Beirne, Colm Lynch, Eoin McGreal and Kobe Mc Donald will be all part of our squad hopefully at some stage.”

Moran told the media “Kobe's a tiny bit different, because Kobe's doing his leaving cert as we know, playing for Gortnor Abbey in basketball as well as football so we'll just wait and see with Kobe but the rest of the guys will all be looking to get game time. Just above the U-20’s then, you will have Hugh O’Loughlin, Seamus Howard and Diarmuid Duffy. These are all guys we're looking to push through over the next couple of weeks.”

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