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Uncertain

'At the moment, I can't see myself managing any other county' -- James Horan

The 42-year-old retired as Mayo manager earlier this year.

FORMER MAYO MANAGER James Horan has said that he can’t see him managing any other county for the foreseeable future.

Speaking to Monday Rewind on Newstalk Horan said that he’d made the decision at the start of the year that this would be his last.

“At the moment I couldn’t see myself managing any other county. I’d made the decision with my family that this was going to be my last year, regardless of what happened.”

Horan managed Mayo to two All-Ireland finals and two semi-finals in his four years in charge before retiring after last season had concluded with defeat by Kerry in the All-Ireland semi-final replay in Limerick.

Speaking about how he announced his retirement to the team Horan says he didn;t really know what to expect.

“I wasn’t sure how the team would react so when we got back into the dressing room no one was ready for any announcements, so then when we got back to the hotel I went through it then.”

Mayo haven’t won an All-Ireland since 1951, a fact that is brought up every year, but Horan is confident that it doesn’t burden the players with any extra pressure.

“I’d be very confident the current crop of players don’t [feel under pressure]. They’re so in tune with sports psychology these days that they’ll use it to drive them on.”

When asked whether or not he had any regrets about his time in charge the 42-year-old was clear that nothing major stodd out for him but said that there would always be things he’d have done differently.

“There’s probably thousands of things that I’d do differently now. I heard Arsene Wenger say yesterday that he queries himself a thousand times a day so I’d say you’re probably always in that frame of mind where you’re constantly asking yourself are you making the team better.”

Horan is currently keeping busy with the GAA/GPA Opel All Stars Tour and is unsure about whether he would return to management. When asked what advice he’d give inexperienced managers however he answered immediately.

“You’ve got to go with your gut feeling and back your decision to the absolute hilt. Watch Brian Cody or watch Alex Ferguson and they just went with their decision and to hell with everyone else.

We’ll Leave It There So: Steph Roche makes final three, Eoin Kelly retires and all today’s sport

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