Sport

Eamon McGee enjoying Donegal coaching role

Donegal u-20 management Leo McLoone with Eamon McGee during the Leo Murphy Cup match against Derry played at Owenbeg on Saturday 11th February 2023. Picture Margaret McLaughlin
Donegal u-20 management Leo McLoone with Eamon McGee during the Leo Murphy Cup match against Derry played at Owenbeg on Saturday 11th February 2023. Picture Margaret McLaughlin Donegal u-20 management Leo McLoone with Eamon McGee during the Leo Murphy Cup match against Derry played at Owenbeg on Saturday 11th February 2023. Picture Margaret McLaughlin

2012 All-Ireland winner and former Donegal defender Eamon McGee is part of Leo McLoone’s u-20 management team and is loving the journey so far. Donegal begin their Ulster Championship campaign tomorrow evening when they welcome Antrim to Ballybofey.

McGee has been involved with the Donegal youngsters for the last three seasons and while coaching doesn’t replace the joy of pulling on the green and gold jersey in a playing capacity, it certainly helps fill the void.

“Obviously you’ll never replace the buzz (of playing), but I love coaching and I love talking about the game and educating myself about it. Obviously, I’m on the stabilizers still but I’m enjoying it,” said McGee.

“What I’m proud of, having worked with the u-20s these last three years, is having a small input into their development, I take a lot of pride out of that. I might meet one of them playing a club game or something or even if they go on to play for Donegal, that’s what I enjoy, that I had a wee input. It might be small, a percent or two percent.”

Donegal reached the last four of the provincial series in 2022 but lost out to eventual All-Ireland winners Tyrone after extra time. From that team, Caolan McColgan and Johnny McGroddy have graduated to the seniors and that not only fills McGee with pride but supports Karl Lacey’s vision for the development of Donegal’s younger players.

“It was good to see the likes of Caolan and Johnny try to establish themselves, that jersey is in their grasps now. If they push on and really, really go at it and love the lifestyle that’s required to be an intercounty player, then it’s not far away from them, if they want it, that’s the big thing.

“The pathway is there, and it solidifies what we’re trying to get into the players. For us, our goal really is to make sure that our u-20s, there’s as many of them ready to play for Donegal at senior level as possible,” added the Gaoth Dobhair clubman.

“Secondary is to win medals and to put medals in their back pockets. I just find that if we get the max out of 20 or 25 Donegal players, we’ll not be far away from the medal and that’s been my experience.

“That goes back to my conversation with Karl (Lacey) in my first year with the u-20s, I wanted them to set up a certain way and development would have been maybe second or third on the list.

“Karl just wrapped the knuckles and said no, that’s Eamon McGee’s ego speaking. We want to develop these players and we have to stay true to these players and that’s what I always try to think back to when I’m working with them.

“One of the promises we make is we say we’re going to send them back home as a better player and that includes sending them back to their club. But also, the players that are going to make that jump to inter-county level, that they’ll be ready for it.”