Marty Clarke takes his first step into the inter-county management scene with Cavan under-20s

An exciting addition for the Breffni county.

Cavan GAA have confirmed that Marty Clarke will be a part of the management set-up for their under-20 side next year. 2018 will be the first year of the under-20 competition, after it replaces the under-21 football Championship that has ran since 1964. The 30-year-old joins the backroom team of Cavan's incoming manager Kevin Downes. He could come up against his native county Down in the Ulster stages of the competition. It's the first coaching role the former All-Ireland finalist with Down takes on since his retirement from both club and inter-county GAA earlier on this year due to Addison's disease. Addison's disease is a rare medical condition that can cause abdominal pain, weakness, and weight loss. The An Ríocht club man seems a natural fit for the inter-county coaching scene, or even management scene in the near future. He was an underage prodigy in the Mourne County, winning MaCrory Cups with his school St Louis' Kilkeel. It wasn't long before he went on to represent the Down minors and under-21s, with whom he won an Ulster title in 2005. The AFL soon came calling, and he joined up with Collingwood Football Club in 2006. https://twitter.com/SportsJOEdotie/status/933336655645364224 He returned to Ireland in 2009, citing his desire to play Gaelic Football again. He soon fired the county to an All-Ireland final. He therefore has a wealth of knowledge and experience in both GAA and AFL and this will be valuable for him as he embarks on a coaching/management career. He has been involved in punditry for RTÉ and BBC recently, and is a hugely credible and highly respected voice in the GAA.