Ex-players can boost Tyrone prospects - Carlin

January 23, 2018

Tyrone's Dermot Carlin.
©INPHO/James Crombie.

Dermot Carlin believes the former players in Tyrone's backroom team will be a great asset to the Red Hands.

Mickey Harte has brought in Stephen O'Neill as a forward's coach, while John Devine is goalkeeping coach and Gavin Devlin is Harte's right hand man. U21 selector Carlin says these All-Ireland winners have a lot of know-how to pass on to the current crop:

"It's very important. It's a very smart move, Mickey bringing Stevie on board because for any forward at all, if you watch videos of Stephen O'Neill, you want to be like him because he was just exceptional.

"It wasn't just pure talent that got Stevie where he was, Stevie worked hard at his game, he was prepared to put in the hours on the pitch on his own.

"Having talent is great but if you don't work hard, you're no good - if he can relay wee bits like that to some of the other forwards it can only be a good thing.

"We've three teams that have won All-Irelands, so if they can pass any wee thing on it'll help. It's good to have men who have won something - the likes of 'Horse' [Devlin], John Devine, Stevie - to tell stories. They're all fellas who have been there and done it."


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