Jake on a high as he gains the captaincy

JAKE Hyland is a surviving member of the Drogheda United squad that won promotion in dramatic fashion back in 2016, but he’s making no bold predictions about repeating the feat this season.

The 22-year-old midfielder, who looks set to wear the captain’s armband in the league opener against Finn Harps on Friday night, can’t wait for the new campaign to start but is also wary of talking up the club’s chances of pushing the likely pace-setters Galway United, Longford Town and Finn Harps.

‘I think it’s going to be really exciting because we’ve signed a good few players and brought back Gareth McCaffrey, Paul Skinner and Lee Duffy, and it’s a really good, hungry squad,’ he said, speaking this week.

‘But I think, for us, the goal is to stay on our feet. It’s very early days, it’s Tim’s first job in management, he is only learning the game after retiring last year. and it would be unfair to set expectations.

‘Everyone is going to make mistakes and the manager is going to make mistakes, so we’re going to take it game by game and hopefully have a good season.’

Hyland took time to consider his own future at the end of last season, but signed on th dotted line fairly soon after Tim Clancy was appointed as the successor to Pete Mahon.

‘I was looking to see what the plan was, and when I first heard it was Tim I didn’t know him as a person because we only played against him last year,’ Hyland explained.

‘But when I met him he had a lot of good ideas and it was a no-brainer [for me to sign again] because I’ve enjoyed my time here for the last two years.

‘He knows what he wants and certainly isn’t afraid of having a go at us, but he wants to play on the front foot, which is good because we’ve a lot of young players in the squad.

‘Last year there was a lot of doom and gloom, but he has brought in a lot of positivity and pre-season has been really good.’

The atmosphere in the camp wasn’t great at times last year, with a few personality clashes that resulted in player departures in mid-season, but Hyland feels that United Park has been a happier place to be so far this season.

‘I think the players have been hand-picked by Tim and he’s looked at it that way and wants a certain type of character in the dressing-room,’ he responded.

‘I didn’t know some of them myself, but we also seem to have gelled together quite quickly and there’s good vibes around the place.

‘Since the manager came in we said everything is geared towards the Finn Harps game. You can play as many pre-season games as you like, but it means nothing and the ones that count are the ones that can get you three points.

‘We have done a lot of work on Finn Harps, but at the same time we have to focus on ourselves and hopefully we can get off to a good start.’

Hyland himself admitted he wants to lay down a marker himself after being handed the captain’s armband, and he’ll be looking to deliver on his reputation as an energetic, box-to-box player.

‘Sean Brennan will be club captain, but I think I’ll be captain on the pitch and the manager has given it to me because he’s new and wants a fresh start,’ Hyland responded.

‘It’s good to get it and I think you have to lead by example. As a team we all take constructive criticism from anyone, but with the squad we have there won’t be a need for too much roaring and shouting because everyone knows their role and what they have to do.’