Andrew Wallace is the new Donegal hurling manager. The Burt man's appointment was ratified at last week's county board meeting.
Wallace (37) emerged at the top of a shortlist of four candidates for the post and will take over from Setanta's Eamon Campbell whose management term ended back in June.
While a rookie in managerial terms, Wallace has worn the Donegal jersey for more than 20 years and was part of the squad that lost the Lory Meagher Cup final to Tyrone in Croke Park in June.
"This job only comes around every three or four years so I thought I'd give it a shot now – who knows where I'd be in three years' time?
"One of the reasons I went for the job is that I know the players. And as well as players from established clubs, I'd like to see some players from Aodh Ruadh and Four Masters making a shape at it – we haven't had representatives from either team for a couple of years," he said.
While there will be changes in both approach and personnel, Wallace is looking forward to making the transition from player to manager.
"I'm not here to make enemies with players, but neither am I going into this to make friends. I'm the manager and I'll be here to do a job," he said.
Wallace will sit down and chat to Naul McCole to discuss the logistics of running the county team and he has yet to approach potential selectors.
"I'll obviously be looking for selectors from the Setanta and Mac Cumhaill's club and I've an inkling for someone from outside that too, but we'll have to wait and see," he said.
With Ulster Junior titles and a couple of National League medals on the sideboard, Wallace has won more than many men who hurled in the green and gold, but it's that elusive All-Ireland title that he still seeks and he hasn't ruled out being part of the playing squad next year.
"I don't see myself as a player-manager because that wouldn't be right, but I intend to keep myself in shape and if I can offer something in five or ten minutes at the end of the game then I'll do that. I'll certainly continue to play with Burt too – I'm not retiring just yet."
While the Lory Meagher Cup represents a realisable target in his first year, the season starts with a match away to Tyrone in Division 3B of the National Hurling League. Donegal will also be pitted against the likes of Louth, Sligo, Roscommon, Wicklow and Fingal in that Division and Wallace is targeting a top four finish.
"We need to be realistic, and I've told the board that too. The likes of Roscommon and Wicklow in particular are very strong sides and there's no point in me saying that we're going to win the league. We'll be targeting a top four finish which will be good preparation for the championship."
"Donegal played well against stronger opposition this year, but we let ourselves down a bit and underperformed against teams where we thought getting the result was just a formality. There are not formalities in intercounty hurling."
The main objective will reaching the Lory Meagher Cup final again and going one better than this year's defeat to Tyrone. Longford will provide the opposition in the first round.
With Donegal having contested the Rackard Cup final a couple of years ago, and lining out in Division 3B of the League – higher than any other team competing in the Meagher Cup – there has been talk of the county team being too strong for this fourth tier competition.
"We have to set our stall out and any talk of us being too good for the Lory Meagher Cup is nonsense. You have to prove you're worthy of moving up to the Rackard Cup by winning the Meagher Cup," he said.
Wallace consulted his wife Karen before applying for the manager's job. The couple recently celebrated the birth of their first child and he was concerned about the upheaval the county manager's job might bring.
"I'm fortunate that I'm married to a good GAA woman, she played camogie herself and has a keen interest in sport, and she was supportive of me."
"I'll be asking all the players chosen for the panel next year to give it their full effort. I'll be giving it my all and together we can do our families, clubs and county proud," he said.
