DERRY BOSS MICKEY Harte insisted the All-Ireland winning Glen players were not forced to a swift return to inter-county action tonight, in the wake of their Croke Park triumph last Sunday.
Conor Glass, Ethan Doherty and Ciaran McFaul all started the Division 1 tie for Derry against Kerry in Austin Stack Park, six days after Glen’s All-Ireland final success over St Brigid’s.
Last year, both Glass and Doherty had played in a Division 2 league game against Limerick, a week after the All-Ireland club final loss to Kilmacud Crokes.
Harte revealed after tonight’s match in Tralee that the decision was left to the Glen players about when they would rejoin the Derry camp.
“We always left it up to them. We didn’t interfere with their run-in to the All-Ireland. We never asked anything of them. We let them focus totally on the club championship, which went to the ultimate for them.
“When it was finished, we let them enjoy a night or two. We just had a chat with them if they could come back and be with us, even just to integrate as part of the group again.
“They did that on Wednesday night on their own for a while and then they joined us on Thursday night again. We left it entirely up to them. They were happy to put themselves forward and be considered for selection.
“I think it’s a great credit to them, given what they’ve put through over the last two years, not just this year. To go into a game of this high altitude, they deserve great credit for just even putting themselves forward for it.”
Harte was asked if the Derry management had considered an extended break for the Glen players would be beneficial in the long run for Derry’s 2024 season exertions.
“We think of everything that we can and we discuss it with them. I’m not inside their heads. I can only talk to them. They know what’s inside their heads and inside their bodies and they know what they’re prepared to do. Nobody forced them to do anything.
“The door was open for them to decline or come in and they decided to come in. These first two games are important, especially when you’re a new team into Division 1. Early points are critical and if you don’t get early points, then there’s a week’s break and before you know it you’re a month into the National League and you’re still hunting for points.
“That puts you in a position where you’re under pressure right away before the league has even got to the halfway stage.”
