I FELT LIKE IT’S RIGHT TIME TO ANSWER COL..
COLM O’ROURKE admits it felt like a case of now or never after being ratified as the new Meath boss.
The Royals legend has previously thrown his name into the hat for the Meath hot seat without any luck.
And while the 64-year-old initially ruled himself out of the running to replace Andy Mcentee, O’rourke couldn’t turn down the opportunity when the county board finally came calling.
He said: “There is a bit of ageism in the country and, I think, in GAA circles. People think that when you get to my age that you have run your course.
“But in America, for example, the coaches in basketball, football and hockey, and things like that, tend to be older people. But not so much in this country.”
He added: “I’ve had an interest [in the Meath job] because if you have a passion for football and you’ve been involved in management at all the levels that I’ve been involved in – at school, at club and at international rules – it would sort of be an extension of that.
“It wasn’t something that ever kept me awake at night. But there comes a time in life to do things, and this seemed to be the right time.”
O’rourke revealed he will be casting his net far and wide for the best players.
He told LMFM: “We intend to do a trawl when the championships are over.
“We will be looking at well over 100 players before we come to a panel.”
After stating his ambition this week to end Dublin’s stranglehold in Leinster, O’rourke admitted that he had already given his critics a stick to beat him with.
But he has reiterated his belief that the Dubs are the benchmark for Meath.
“It’s not about waiting for him to come down to our level, it’s about us raising our levels. If you are not able to beat Dublin then you are going nowhere.”