Well-prepped Ryan McShane hits the ground running with Donegal U-20s

Donegal got their U-20 football season off to a promising start with Gary Duffy’s team producing a 3-14 to 0-6 win over Derry in Celtic Park on Saturday afternoon in the Development League.

It was a good start to the season too for Ryan McShane, who started his second U-20 campaign in the green and gold at corner-back. And he capped a good display with the second of Donegal’s three second half goals.

“It was a good win and it was important to get the year off to a good start,” said McShane, a second year primary teacher student at Dublin City University.

“I played sweeper last year but I played corner-back against Derry. It is the position I play with the club and it was nice to get forward to get the goal. We played very well on Saturday, in difficult conditions and we are in good shape for the time of year, unlike last year when we were in lockdown and had no football, we've had a good pre-season this year. I also played with the DCU second year team. We won the second year league. We beat UCD in the final, before Christmas.

“So I’ve had plenty of football and we are into the league, which is good preparation for the championship. It is better for the whole squad too because the games give bucks in the squad a chance to make the team.

“Last year all Gary and his management had to go on was how we were playing in in-house games. If you were lucky enough to hit form just at the right team you were in the team - otherwise you had no chance.

Donegal, on Saturday, travel to take on Roscommon, who lost 1-12 to 1-9 against Mayo last Friday night in Bekan.
“Fellas will get a chance in competitive games in the League this year. I know Derry were understrength last weekend but we are in a competitive group,” McShane added. “Roscommon and Mayo are good teams and that is what you want to prepare for the championship.

“Roscommon are beaten All-Ireland finalists from last year and Mayo always have good underage teams.
“They have the bulk of last year's team back again this year. I have played against a couple of them in college football. Daire Cregg is a very good player. He was on the UCD in the league final and he was on this year’s UCD Sigerson Cup team.”

Last year, Monaghan turned the tables on Donegal to run out winners on a 3-10 to 1-11 scoreline in Enniskillen.
“We had a very good team last year and it was very disappointing the way we collapsed in the second half against Monaghan in the Ulster semi-final,” McShane added.

“We played very well in the first half and led 0-9 to 1-1. But we collapsed in the second half and lost by five points. It was an 11-point swing in the second half which was hard to take afterwards after playing so well against Armagh and Tyrone, in the earlier rounds and in the first half against Monaghan.”

Rory O’Donnell, Shane O’Donnell, Ryan McFadden and Padraig McGettigan from last year’s team are over age this season. But the rest of all last season’s starting team are back on board again this season.

The O’Donnells and Ryan McFadden have made the step up to Declan Bonner's Donegal senior squad. Shane O’Donnell and Rory O’Donnell both made their first ever Allianz League starts in Killarney on Sunday.

That fact has not gone unnoticed by Ryan McShane. “It was great to see Rory join Shane last week in the team and that is ultimately the goal is to play for the seniors,” he said. “That is what the U-20 is about - bringing players through to play senior football.”