Nurturing Tyrone talent is what fuels my fire, says Devlin
TYRONE Under-20s football boss Paul Devlin is very much a man on a mission.
Having steered his side to two successive Ulster titles he now has his sights on a hat-trick, but it’s not the glint of silverware that totally captivates the thoroughly grounded Devlin.
Instead, he derives his greatest satisfaction from the fact that 15 players from his panel spanning the past two seasons have already been called into the Tyrone senior squad by the new management team of Feargal Logan and Brian Dooher.
And it’s this statistic that has stoked Devlin’s competitive juices for the season that lies ahead.
“While it’s great to win a trophy, the most important thing from my perspective is to bring new talent through so that it can ultimately flourish at senior level,” insisted Devlin.
“That’s really what we are about. We have been fortunate enough to come out on top in Ulster over the past two years, but the fact that a number of the players have now moved on and can perhaps earn their spurs at a higher level is particularly gratifying from my perspective.”
With Darragh Canavan having already made an impact in the senior sector for Tyrone, Devlin believes that others are destined to follow in his footsteps.
“You can have all the silverware you want, but if you don’t have the right calibre of players coming through at the appropriate time then you are not achieving what you should be looking for,” stated Devlin.
“Not every player will move on to senior level because they develop at their own stages, but it’s certainly encouraging to see the overall progress being made.”
Dublin proved too strong for Tyrone in the recent All-ireland semi-final before they themselves rather surprisingly fell victims to Galway in the decider.
In overcoming Donegal in last year’s Ulster Under-20 final, Devlin’s side showed a healthy work ethic and a marked penchant for capitalising on half-chances when it came to taking scores.
Ethan Jordan, Joe Oguz and Tiernan Quinn were among the players who brought polished finishing skills to the table and could now prove themselves on the senior stage.
“There is definitely a rich seam of talent here but we are not rushing players. The players are maturing at their own pace and now it’s important that we try and push on from here. Obviously it would be good to land a hat-trick of Ulster titles,” added Devlin.
Along with his backroom team, Devlin will continue to conduct a trawl of emerging players at club level within the county when the action resumes.
“We were impressed by the way in which Donegal put it up to us so strongly in last year’s Ulster final and we know that there is a fresh raft of talent coming through in other counties as well,” stressed Devlin.
“This is why we have to remain on our toes. We can take nothing for granted. There is a great desire in every county for success and you have to put in a big effort if you want to get to the top.
“When you look at the way Galway beat Dublin in the All-ireland final, you can see how managers get the best out of players. I thought Galway showed great persistence and a steely attitude that certainly stood to them when the heat was on.”