“It’s time for those lads to drive the thing on.”
Chrissy McKaigue opens up on losing Derry captaincy to Conor Glass, and why it was the right decision for Rory Gallagher to make.
Derry are set to play Armagh this Sunday in the Ulster final, and after waiting for so long to get their hands on the Anglo-Celt cup, they are not looking to lose their grip on it.
McKaigue was the captain when the Oakleaf county beat Donegal in extra time to win their first provincial championship since 1998, but now it’s time for new men to take the lead.
Speaking to BBC Sport, the Slaughtneil clubman reveals why it’s time for Derry to have new leaders.
“It’s time for those [other] lads to drive the thing on,” he said ahead of Sunday’s Ulster Final against Armagh.
“To show the leadership that they are capable of and and I believe this year, as a result of them taking more ownership within the team, that they have performed better on the pitch too.
“I have huge belief that there’s a conveyor belt of U20s and minors that are coming through in Derry that are very, very strong also.
“There has to be a sustainability to the project that Derry is doing. I believe that there is, so whilst the Ulster Final is a massively important day for Derry GAA, I believe it’s in a really good place currently and that gives me a lot of satisfaction to say.
“For us we just control what we control and we feel with the age profile of the team, there is a lot of room for growth and getting better and that will go beyond this year.
“Right now the focus is on trying to retain our Ulster title. It means a huge amount to us.”
Related links:
- Derry’s goal tells everything you need to know about win over Monaghan
- Derry star an unfair victim of ridiculous u20 rule
- Goalkeeper’s ‘quarter back’ role proves pivotal as Derry dismantle Fermanagh
