SHANE McGinty perhaps had enough on his plate but the urges – ‘I just love everything about football,’ as he says – meant the chance to manage his native Kildrum Tigers was never going to be turned down.
At 25, McGinty (pictured by Evan Logan) might seem like a rookie manager, but the Tigers boss is a wise head on young shoulders.
A midfielder at Irish League Premier Division club, McGinty speaks like a seasoned boss. In a dressing room that oozes experiences, the St Johnston man takes it in his stride.
“It may create problems at another club, but at Kildrum – like many clubs throughout Donegal – it’s a community,” he told Donegal Daily/Donegal Sport Hub ahead of Sunday’s FAI Junior Cup game against Oliver Bond Celtic in Dublin.
“I’ve grown up with these boys, been on nights out, holidays, you name it. This is a group of friends. The position the club was in, I came in and took over the group.
“The group manages itself and it’s about steering it in the right direction…guiding them in the right direction. It’s a group of people who want the best for the club.”
McGinty – who comes from a family steeped in the ways of the club – will lean on the likes of Finn Harps legend Kevin McHugh, among the experienced heads in the Tigers dressing room.
Kildrum – the 2018 Donegal League double winners – haven’t lost at Station Road Park in almost three years now, but are on their travels on Sunday as they chase the Junior Cup dream.
McGinty said: “We’re delighted first and foremost to get this far. We came out of a very competitive region and had a good result against another Dublin side in the last round. It’s exciting times for us and we’re looking forward to it.”
Listen to the full interview below …