Donegal have been gearing towards the Ulster U-20 championship - Eamon McGee

When it is suggested to Donegal U-20 mentor Eamon McGee that Donegal could have got a worse draw in the U-20 Ulster Championship than Antrim - he has a swift retort. 

Leo McLoone’s lads have avoided reigning Ulster and All-Ireland champions Tyrone and a fancied Derry side, and it would be viewed that the Saffrons simply don’t carry the same level of danger. But McGee does not agree. 

“No, we know what Antrim are about and they are working hard so it is not a gimme. I would not say that at all.  I think it is dangerous to even be talking about it. If you are not doing the work at underage you will not be competing and every county is working hard. If we take our eye off the ball or disrespect Antrim we could be beaten. 

“We have an idea about them and when we were coming through at underage Antrim would have been down the pecking order but a lot of work has been done up there. We know that it is not a game that we can take for granted”. 

The big plus for McGee and Donegal is the fact that the game is in ‘Fortress Ballybofey’. 

“That is one thing we will be telling the young lads that MacCumhaill Park  is a hard place for visitors to get results in. It is something that is important to us as a county. We need to make it hard for teams to come there and get a result and we intend to keep it like that. 

“We were in the Leo Murphy Cup and it was a mixed bag for us as we played Derry, Sligo and Mayo and lost the first two and won the last”. 

The last win may have been tempered by the fact that Mayo had already qualified, but McGee insists that everything is geared towards the championship. 

“It was a tough few weeks to start off with bad weather and college commitments. But we are gathering a bit of momentum now and it is about giving lads chances. We are trying to get it through to them what it means to play for Donegal and bringing them along on a developmental journey in terms of the S and C and the tactical side. 

“It is about bringing them on that journey. Last year we would probably have gone all out to win every game and Tyrone got the better of us in the Ulster semi-final last year and it went to extra time. 

“Tyrone fully deserved that win and we are taking a different approach this year with giving as many lads as possible game time so that we will have an idea of what is a more settled team”. 

Donegal still have a few players from last year including their captain Ferdia Doherty, Luke McGlynn (who has played with the Donegal seniors), Sean Doherty and Fionan Coyle. 

“The big thing about young fellows is getting them to believe in themselves and have confidence as opposed to arrogance”. 

McGee is now in his third year with the U-20s but says he is still in the “learning phase”. 

“I am enjoying it and hopefully in the next few years I will go into adult football”. 

However,  he does not see himself as a manager.

“Leo is the manager and that is a very different role. There is virtually no crossover between coaching and management. If you are managing a team, it is like looking after staff plus the players. I would have no big interest in managing but I am interested in the coaching and that is a goal for us”  

For McGee the competition is all about getting “a good run”. 

“It is a brilliant competition, and it is a great age, and it is a real honour to work with young fellows to say you have had a hand in their development”.