O'Neill looks ahead as Mayo FC U-20s set for defining league season

Mayo FC’s Under-20 men’s team is preparing for a demanding and potentially defining season, and manager Anthony O’Neill believes the foundations are already being laid for a squad that can compete, develop, and ultimately feed into the club’s senior side.

After months of assessment, trials and careful selection, O’Neill has now finalised a panel of 21 players
— two goalkeepers and 19 outfield players — and he says the lengthy recruitment process was a
deliberate choice.

“We’ve 21 players altogether, which is just about what we want,” O’Neill told The Mayo News. “It’s just
one short of two players for every position, so there’s good competition for places. That’s really important.

"We didn’t rush it. We started the process on the first of November, and it’s been a long, arduous process, but I’m glad we took our time.

"Even in the last few weeks we got a few lads over the line that I was really happy to bring in.”

Rather than filling places quickly, O’Neill said the club opted to be patient and selective, knowing that the quality and commitment of players would be more important than simply hitting numbers.

“If we’d rushed it, we might have ended up with players who weren’t quite right. We didn’t do that, and I think we were right not to.”

BIG DEMANDS

That patient approach has now given way to a demanding pre-season programme, with the squad well
into its training schedule.

After two months of assessments, the players are now fully embedded in structured pre-season work.

“We’re into our fifth week of proper pre-season training now,” O’Neill explained. “We’re training three
evenings a week.

"On Tuesdays the lads are in the gym from quarter past six to seven, then we go to Milebush for a classroom session at half seven, and after that we’re on the pitch from eight to quarter
past nine.

"Wednesdays we run for about an hour and a half, and Fridays we’re back on the pitch for an
hour and then into meetings. Saturdays we’ve been playing friendlies, and once the league starts,
Saturdays will be league games as well.”

It is a demanding schedule, particularly for young players who are often balancing football with school, college or work, but O’Neill believes that level of commitment is necessary if Mayo FC is to bridge the gap between underage football and the senior game.

On matchdays, O’Neill will be able to select a squad of 20, with some flexibility for players to also feature from the club’s Under-17s if required.

The youngest eligible players in the Under-20s squad must be born in 2008, meaning there is a wide spread of ages and stages of development within the panel.

“There’s a really good mix of ages in there,” he said. “That’s a good thing, but it also means you have to manage it well.

"Some lads are still developing physically; others are more mature. It takes time to get them all to the same level, but that’s part of the job.”

DEVELOPING TALENT

One of the more notable additions to the squad is the team’s sole overage player so far, Georgian
midfielder Guga Kokaia.

Under league rules, teams are permitted to include up to two overage players in their matchday squad, and O’Neill said Kokaia was an obvious choice.

“Guga was born in 2005, so he’s just a year over, and we’re allowed to do that,” he said. “He played with Galway Under-20s last year. He’s originally from Georgia and he’s only a couple of years in the country.

"He came up to our assessments, trained with us, and he’s done really, really well. He’s been with us from the start of pre-season, so we’re delighted to have him.”

While Kokaia is currently the only overage player signed, O’Neill did not rule out adding another if the
right opportunity arises, but he stressed that the focus remains firmly on developing young local talent.

HUGE CHALLENGE

The competitive test for that talent will come once the league begins, and O’Neill is well aware that Mayo FC has a tough opener.

“Our first game is against Shelbourne,” he said. “You couldn’t really get a tougher start.”

Shelbourne are the reigning Under-20 league champions, and many of their players have already had
exposure to elite European competition.

“They’ve had lads playing in the UEFA Youth League this season, which is basically the under-19 version of the Champions League,” O’Neill explained.

“They’re a very strong side. Their Under-20s played Athlone Town’s first team a couple of weeks ago and beat them, which tells you the level they’re at. So it’ll be a huge challenge, but we’re looking forward to it.”

In addition to Shelbourne, Mayo FC will face Galway United, Sligo Rovers, UCD and Athlone Town and
others in what promises to be a tough and competitive league.

“You’re playing against academies, against clubs with a lot of resources, so you have to be realistic,”
O’Neill said. “But at the same time, there’s no point going in thinking you’re just there to make up
numbers. We want to be competitive. That’s the aim.”

Supporting O’Neill on the coaching side is a small but highly involved backroom team. David McNicholas has come in as assistant manager, while Micheal Schlingerman has been appointed as goalkeeping coach.

“Dave is involved in everything,” O’Neill said. “Coaching, analysis, watching games, breaking them down — everything I do, he does as well. We share the role.

"I didn’t know him before, but he came highly recommended, and I’ve been really impressed. His work ethic is fantastic.”

Schlingerman, with his vast League of Ireland experience, is focused on developing the club’s young
goalkeepers, a role O’Neill sees as vital.

“We’ve two keepers, and they’re working hard. Micheal is doing a great job with them. Ideally, we’d like to add another assistant at some stage, but I’m happy with Dave and Micheal. We’re working well
together.”

ULTIMATE AIM

While winning matches is always important, O’Neill made it clear that the bigger picture for the Under-20s is player development — particularly in relation to the club’s senior team.

“The ultimate goal is to get lads into the first team,” he said. “That’s really what this is about. The senior National League season starts in September, and training for that will begin in July. What we want is to be able to push three, four, maybe five of these lads into that squad.”

O’Neill is expected to have some involvement with the senior setup as well, although his exact role has yet to be finalised.

“There’ll be a bit of overlap,” he explained. “The Under-20 season runs until October, and the senior
season will be September, October and November.

"I’ll be involved in some capacity, whether that’s as manager, coach or assistant manager. Nothing is fully confirmed yet, but I’ll be there.”

One area where O’Neill was slightly disappointed was the level of uptake from Mayo League players
during the trial process.

“I would have expected more players from the Mayo League to come in,” he admitted. “We’ve six or
seven, which is good, but we offered the opportunity to more lads and some turned it down.”

However, he was philosophical about that.

“If players don’t want to come in, you don’t dwell on it. It might not be for them. You just move on. You cast your net wide and you talk to people. What matters to me is that the lads who are here want to be here.”

And that hunger, he believes, is one of the most encouraging aspects of the group he has assembled.

“I’m delighted with the players we’ve got,” O’Neill said. “They’ve shown a real appetite for it. They’re
training hard, they’re listening, they’re pushing each other.

"That’s what you want. You want lads who are hungry, who want to improve, who want to be part of something. If someone doesn’t want to be here, then they don’t want to be here — and we just move on.”

As Mayo FC’s Under-20s prepare to face some of the strongest youth teams in the country, O’Neill
knows the road ahead will not be easy.

But with a carefully selected squad, an intense training programme and a clear pathway to senior football, he is confident the group is heading in the right direction.

“We’re not here to make up numbers,” he said. “We’re here to compete, to develop players, and to build something for the future of Mayo FC. That’s what it’s all about.”