Meath team are ready to brightly

Bern

NEW Meath U20 manager Bernard Flynn is delighted with the star studded backroom team he has assembled.

The two- time All- Ireland winner ( above) will join forces with 1999 Sam Maguire winning skipper Graham Geraghty plus another ex- captain in Graham Reilly.

Ex- Dublin and Ipswich Town goalkeeper Shane Supple will assist the goalies while Kilmacud Crokes manager Robbie Brennan will lend his support too.

Peter Leahy will coach the team having just stepped down as Mayo ladies boss after three years.

Flynn also tried to get his old boss Sean Boylan on board but he’d already signed up to a role with the Down U20s.

Flynn told

LMFM Radio: “The first guy I did ring when the chairman rang me was Sean Boylan, to see would he be a selector. I tried for about three days to get his head turned and to maybe do a u- turn.

“I feel he should be involved in every underage Meath squad in some capacity, I do feel strongly on that.

“But no, the people have been assembled.”

Geraghty’s appointment is intriguing, coming less than three months after surgery following a brain hemorrhage.

Flynn said: “I’ve been chatting to Graham Geraghty for a good while after his rehab. He wants to give a bit back, we’re not going to flog him, we’ve got to be careful but he was thrilled to come on board and to try to help the young players.”

Ex- Meath captain Reilly, just 31, only confirmed his inter- county retirement last week. He’s from the same St Colmcilles club that Flynn played his underage football with.

Leahy and Flynn both live in Westmeath and are mates but the new boss insists it’s no old pals act.

He said: “Everyone has a job to do, I didn’t just pick them because they’re mates or anything like that. I saw a specific role for each of them where they can contribute and that’s all that mattered.”