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Dublin senior football manager Jim Gavin. Cathal Noonan/INPHO
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Jim Gavin's new contract as Dublin manager is even longer than expected

A big vote of confidence for the Dubs boss.

DUBLIN SENIOR FOOTBALL manager Jim Gavin will remain in the job until the end of the 2017 season.

Gavin, who’s been in charge since the 2013 campaign, confirmed this morning that he has agreed a two-year extension to his initial three-year deal — which was agreed as far back as September of last year.

Reports yesterday suggested that Gavin’s new deal would run until 2016, but he now looks set to remain at the helm for a total of five seasons.

“A week after the All-Ireland semi-final, I met with the Dublin county board chairman Andy Kettle and the chief executive John Costello,” said Gavin.

“We just met to quickly review the year that went by. Obviously we needed to meet to see where I was at and where they thought I was at. So the outcome of that meeting was that I was going to go essentially for another three years. That was ratified at the Dublin county board committee meeting some time in November.”

Since taking over from Pat Gilroy, Gavin has guided the Dubs to three Allianz League titles, two Leinster Championships and one All-Ireland.

Gavin said: “I go from year to year anyway. There are no contracts signed. It’s an agreement between myself and the officers of the county board. We’re all volunteers and that’s the way it works.

“If they want me to stay on, I’ll stay on. We just put a bit of structure on it. Obviously we have plans for the team and to see them through, we thought another three-year cycle would be appropriate.”

In spite of the clear vote of confidence from the Dublin county board, Gavin accepts that the expectation to deliver success remains: “There is pressure on Dublin players. There is pressure on coaches and managers. That’s the nature of the dynamic that we have within the county, being the media base it is.

“But I’ve gone up, I’ve played within that bubble, I’ve obviously coached and managed, so I’m quite comfortable with it. My remit is simply to get the players to be the best they can be. That’s solely my job. And if trophies come along the way, that’s an added bonus. That’s the philosophy we take.”

Dublin will name their team this evening for Sunday’s Leinster quarter-final against Longford at Croke Park, with Paul Flynn being passed fit to play. However, James McCarthy is out with a toe injury and Ger Brennan is also still sidelined. Rory O’Carroll, who’s recovering from a hamstring injury, is a doubtful starter.

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