KEVIN MCHUGH has delivered a sharp assessment of what some Finn Harps players have to do to survive the cut in the Premier Division.
McHugh has retired after scoring 186 goals in 438 games for Harps and, after being given a fitting and emotional send off last night at Finn Park, the Killea man had a word of warning for some of his team-mates.
“A few, if I’m being honest, need to look at what they’re doing outside of football, in terms of their diet and extra gym work,” he told Donegal Sport Hub after the 1-0 win over Bohemians.
“It’s a ruthless League and any mistake is punished. It’s week-in, week-out, relentless.
“You can’t afford to switch off. If you turn up to pre-season with that kind of attitude again, you’ll be fighting relegation. The boys don’t want to do that. They want to push on. A lot of them need to brush up on what they’re doing.”
McHugh has been reduced to the role of a spectator after severing a finger in a freak accident early this month.
The 36-year-old bows out having attained iconic status within the club, something that was evident last night as Kevin Duffy, the Finn Park public address announcer, called him out.
McHugh has urged Ollie Horgan, the Harps manager, to tie up key members of the squad and says Harps deserved to retain their Premier Division status for 2017.
He said: “Ollie will be banging down a few doors and getting a few boys signed. Boys have definitely proved that they’re good enough.
“It was good to see them end the season strong. We went through a bad period, but we dug it out and did more than enough to stay up.”
Listen to the full interview below …
https://soundcloud.com/donegalsporthub-club-notes/kevin-mchugh-after-last-game-as-finn-harps-player
