Roscommon manager Davy Burke believes his age gives him a better understanding of his players' needs.

At just 34, the Confey clubman is the youngest inter-county manager in the country. He can identify with the huge sacrifices his players make and is happy to give them time off when it's needed.

"One of my biggest strengths is that I can think like the lads because I'm a similar age group to them," Burke told RTÉ Radio One's Sunday Sport following the Rossies' defeat to Mayo.

"If I'm driving down the M4 heading for Athlone, and I think it's become a little bit of a drain, or I feel tired, well they probably felt two or three days ago, or a week ago. I think, 'Boom, jump on that, give them the weekend off'.

"They were over the moon. Lads have partners in London... It's very important to keep the show going on and off the field. A happy bunch of lads is a productive bunch of lads.

"They're a brilliant bunch of lads to work with. The bounce and the energy off them is phenomenal. I can't believe their dedication."

He added: "We'd have 20 lads in Dublin full-time, four or five in Galway. There's serious travel involved in the west of Ireland. That's where the toll is. The football we all love. The tactical stuff I love. It's the mileage that's the slog.

"I'm not too bad, I'm an hour [travelling to training]. Most of our lads would be an hour-and-a-half. David Murray and Conor Hussey are coming from Salthill, and Salthill is a disaster to get in and out of."

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