Mickey Harte’s Return To Management Will Likely Be Without Key General | Balls.ie

Mickey Harte announced live on BBC last weekend that he was “not ready for the slippers yet” as he confirmed his plans to return to management.

Harte left his role as Derry manager after just one season at the helm, winning the McKenna Cup and Division One title, but a disappointing run in the championship that saw them lose four games meant that his time in charge of the Oakleafer’s won’t be remembered too fondly.

Just as he did when he left Tyrone after nearly 20 years of service, Harte was straight back on the horse taking on the Louth job for three years before making the move to Derry and it looks like it won’t be long until we see him again.

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I had a good time there (Derry),” Harte told BBC Sport.

“They’re great lads, very talented footballers, had a very good start to the season. Winning a National League after a great game was super, but we had poor performances in the championship in the early rounds.

“We salvaged that in a difficult win against Westmeath and a super win against Mayo, so there’s been a lot of good memories there, and we made some good friends more than you imagine sometimes.

“We were only there for a year anyway. It was never said it would be longer, and other people assume different things. That was it. It was for a year, and the year is completed. I just thought it was best to step away now.

“Look, it’s hard to put your finger on it. I suppose the Donegal defeat knocked the confidence out of the players to a large degree, and it took a lot to get over that.

“And the suspensions in other games didn’t help as well, so look, it’s all in a year of football. It could have been very different. We were with Kerry up to the 58-59^th minute. If we had managed to stick that game out, I wouldn’t be sitting here.

“I’m still not ready for the pipe and the slippers. No, I like what I’m doing managing at this level. Look at it. We will see what will happen.”

However it does seem like Harte will be without his right-hand man Gavin Devlin if he were to take another job somewhere else.

Devlin has been announced as the new Director of Underage Football at Louth, and is currently the manager of Ardboe, his native club in county Tyrone.

This means that it is unlikely that he will be at his old mentor’s side, if and when he decides to take a job elsewhere.

The pair have been a coaching duo since 2012, when ‘Horse’ as he is affectionally known, joined the Tyrone management team.

Eight years later they joined Louth, followed by Derry, and that now looks like the last time the pair will work together as head and assistant coach.

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