A YOUNGSTER with a dream of playing football for his county must dedicate himself to achieving his goal at the age of 15, according to Tyrone minor boss Paul Devlin.
That’s the cold reality of the demands facing young players, whose right of passage is earned and defined by way of a journey through development squads. The Red Hand teenagers, who face Derry in Sunday’s Ulster MFC first round tie at Celtic Park, have all progressed through the system, now known as Acadamh Thir Eoghain.
“To be a Tyrone minor you have to commit to being a county footballer from you’re 15-years-of-age,” said Devlin.
“And to be a county footballer, you have to dedicate, you have to balance your life all around it. There’s lads going through exams, there’s a lot of stuff ongoing and it’s up to us to get a balance with the whole thing, with club football and everything.”
Devlin, along with co-manager Iggy Gallagher, has received everything asked of the players in terms of application, commitment and sacrifice. In their first season in the job, the pair have developed a strong bond with a talented group, coming close to landing silverware in the Ulster Minor League final, when a late goal gave Donegal the title.
“It’s about progression and about lads believing in their ability and a lot of the credit must go to the clubs," Devlin said.
“They have come here and presented themselves and the discipline and everything has been immense and, for us, it’s about development and bringing them forward to the next level.
“They have brought it to the table, we have told them that if they’re going to be training with Tyrone, you have got to be here on time, 7 o'clock, and at 7 o'clock those lads are standing ready, waiting on us.
“They have showed what they want, and if we can help bring these lads through for the people of Tyrone to enjoy them, that’s what it’s all about. You’re always looking to strive to be the best, and you’ll find something every day, and we’re here to look out for lads, to help improve them.
“That’s what we took on the role for, the help the lads of Tyrone and keep Tyrone at the top table. We put things in place surely, but they’re controlling the whole thing.”
On Sunday, Tyrone will set out to win an Ulster Minor Championship title for the first time since 2012, and Devlin feels the players are mentally tuned for the challenge.
“Everything’s about winning and that’s the mentality that’s with the lads, they have that feeling about themselves, they want to be at the top table," he added.
“They want to progress, and to progress you want to be seen in finals. If silverware comes along the way, so be it, if it doesn’t, they will learn a lot from playing in an Ulster League final. It’s a great bonus for them, we want to strive to be out in front, and that’s the job we have, to keep Tyrone on top.”
And the Moortown man has adopted a philosophy similar to that of senior boss Mickey Harte, who has assembled a team of versatile footballers who can adapt to changing circumstances.
“You have to be adaptable. Players have to be adaptable and realise that they need to learn to play in several areas," he said.
“It’s about being adaptable, and if you’re adaptable, you’re coaching the team yourselves. I tell the lads when they go on the field, you are the coaches, you must carry each other over the line."
