SINCE BEING appointed as the Derry City manager last November, Kenny Shiels has been a strong supporter of the Ulster Senior League, believing the intermediate grade to be of real importance for the Candystripes.
Shiels is a regular at Derry’s games in the USL and the former Kilmarnock manager says it has given them an edge on their League of Ireland rivals.
“No other League of Ireland club has this facility,” Shiels says.
“I think it sits well with the player development. The Under-19s are at a stage where they need to be challenged against men. They’re learning all the time and we have to give them learning opportunities.
[adrotate group=”37″]“There is a certain amount of young players being spoiled now. You try and give them everything with different styles of play.
“Academy football can be a wee bit tippy-tappy, but sometimes they need muck and nettles and to get their hands dirty.”
Shiels referenced a game against Letterkenny Rovers last season, when his two centre-backs were given a real test by Darren McElwaine, the Rovers striker, and a game against Swilly Rovers in February sticks in his mind because of the performance of Conor McDermott.
[adrotate group=”38″]Now, McDermott has become a regular in the City first team and was one of the stars in Friday’s 5-0 win over Finn Harps. Shiels thinks back to the game at Swilly Park.
He says: “That was when he found himself. When he is retiring he will look back and say: ‘That’s when the manager saw that I could do it’.”
While Derry have been a breath of fresh air to the USL since their return, the League has also been good for Derry.
[adrotate group=”46″]From their current first-team panel McDermott, the captain Ryan McBride, Barry McNamee, Nathan Boyle, Shaun Patton, Patrick McClean, Joshua Daniels, Ronan Curtis, Ben Doherty and Rory Holden have all come through the USL.
Michael Duffy bagged himself a move to Celtic last summer and had graduated to Derry’s first team via the Ulster Senior League.
Others, like Ryan Curran, Tony McNamee and Raymond Foy – now at Finn Harps – played in the USL for City.
[adrotate group=”70″]While the League has seen the loss of teams like Drumkeen United, Buncrana Hearts, Kildrum Tigers, Convoy Arsenal, Killea FC, Keadue Rovers, Glenea United and QPS, not to mention the withdrawal of Finn Harps, leaving it down to just six teams, Shiels says: “The Ulster Senior League has been brilliant for us and I hope it continues to prosper.”
The Magherafelt man is perplexed at how Donegal’s soccer landscape sits presently.
He says: “Donegal is new to me, the soccer side of it. I’d love to see them put all the Leagues together. It would be a fantastic move for soccer in this county, which is such a vast football area.”
Listen to the full interview below …
https://soundcloud.com/donegalsporthub-club-notes/kenny-shiels-talks-usl-1
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