MICKEY GRAHAM SAYS he’s looking forward to working alongside Leitrim manager Andy Moran, and that the former Mayo forward is “leaving no stone unturned” ahead of the 2024 season.
Graham was appointed as Moran’s assistant manager last week in what was a shock announcement after Graham stepped down as Cavan boss in July.
The Cavan Gaels man then linked up with the Ballinamore Seán O’Heslins club who bowed out of the Leitrim SFC at the weekend following a semi-final defeat to reigning champions St Mary’s.
Graham and Moran have come to know each other in recent seasons, and Moran’s vision for Leitrim football convinced Graham to return to the inter-county scene again.
“I would have been in contact with him a bit,” he tells The 42, “between playing challenge matches and various other things as well. Obviously he would have been in contact with me about a couple of players in Ballinamore so we’ve been chatting quite a bit.
“And then we just got chatting, and met up to have a discussion of where he wanted Leitrim to go, and the plans that he had for him. It sounded very interesting so I took a bit of time to think about it and decided to give it a go.”
It will be a different role for Graham, who was at the helm during his time with Cavan which yielded an Ulster SFC title in 2020. He was also in charge of the Mullinalaghta footballers who famously captured a Leinster senior club title in 2018.
“It’s a different role and a different approach for me going in with Leitrim. I would know quite a bit about Leitrim football so I’m looking forward to seeing if I can bring something to the set-up.
“It has its advantages. You don’t have to deal with county boards or media or clubs. There’s a lot of stuff that goes on behind the scenes that people wouldn’t see so from that point of view, it’s refreshing to be going in that capacity.”
Graham will be finishing up with his role in the Ballinamore club to pursue the coaching gig with Leitrim. And while his side fell at the penultimate hurdle in the county championship, the time he has invested at club level has allowed him to get a closer look at the quality that is at his and Moran’s disposal.
“You’re seeing players first hand and then you’re listening to other players talking about different things. You learn about players very quickly. I’m only down there about six or seven weeks and I’ve seen a lot of matches already so there’s a lot of good quality in Leitrim so hopefully it’s about getting the best players on the pitch. There’s lots of potential there.”
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