McErlain delighted to have Slaughtneil contingent available all year
May 07, 2019
Derry manager Damian McErlain.
©INPHO/Lorcan Doherty.
Damian McErlain says the Derry football squad has been bolstered hugely by the presence of its Slaughtneil contingent this year.
Chrissy and Karl McKaigue, Brendan Rogers, Paul McNeill, Padraig Cassidy, Christopher Bradley and Shane McGuigan have all been available for selection to McErlain all year following the Emmets’ county semi-final defeat in 2018.
“It's just night and day. It's like asking you to go build a house but just use half the foundations and hope that it stays up,” the Oak Leaf boss tells The Irish News ahead of this weekend’s Ulster SFC preliminary-round derby meeting with Tyrone.
“It's not just having that quality of player on the pitch, it's the fact that they're here every night, that they're hearing the one message, we're all going the one way at the one time. They're not missing for three months, then you're not having to repeat and integrate.
“They're a really good influence, it's great to have them about. You see from some of them why they are successful, their whole mentality and approach to things is what we need young players seeing, night in, night out: this is how real county players behave and prepare.”
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