Gavin Cullen: A reluctant manager delivering the goods for Cockhill

In the summer of 2015, Gavin Cullen seemed a reluctant manager.

Donal O’Brien had led Cockhill Celtic to four Ulster Senior League titles and the Dubliner announced his departure.

Cullen, a former Finn Harps goalkeeper, was eventually coaxed into the role.

“I didn’t want to do it,” he says now, days before leading the club to a first FAI Intermediate Cup final on Sunday.

“It wasn’t for me because I was still playing. I never saw myself as a manager. At the same time, we had a good group.

Evergreen Cockhill captain Jimmy Bradley eyes cup glory

Jimmy Bradley has been on the Cockhill Celtic senior team for over 20 years and will captain the Inishowen club into Sunday's FAI Intermediate Cup final

“There was a lot of outside talk with people saying: ‘When Donal goes, that’s them finished’. There was motivation there as a player to keep it going. We felt we were more than capable.”

Cullen has helped add six further USL crowns.

The likes of Peter Doherty, Jimmy Bradley, Oisin McColgan and Garbhan Friel have been around for much of the success, but Cullen’s group has changed a lot in the last eight years.

He said: “We had to bring in some younger players and we took in Jason Breslin, Ronan ‘Olly’ Doherty and players like that. We kicked on and won a treble.

“We’ve had a massive amount of changes and we’ve gone through a lot of different players. Players have moved on, too, like players who have gone up a level; we’ve had quite a few of those. Players we sign buy into what we do. It’s great for the group. This year, we signed Luke Rudden, Lee McLaughlin, Callum Gillen, and they fit like a glove. It’s about the people you sign as much as the player.

“In terms of our training, it’s first class. We train at a tempo and a level that’s like a senior team. That brings consistency in games.”