'It's a 24/7 job' - Former Linfield star reflects on first season in Irish League management

Stafford enjoyed a hugely successful playing career, winning four Premiership titles alongside two Irish Cups with Linfield, but when the call came from Ballinamallard – the club he started and finished at – to take over on a permanent basis, even he wasn’t sure if the time was right.

Ultimately, it’s almost impossible to judge when or what opportunity is correct to take that initial leap, but Stafford dedicated everything he had to making it a success and finished last season in eighth – one spot higher than the previous campaign.

There were major highs, including a resounding 4-0 victory over Bangor, who would go on to win the Championship title, and also crushing lows, which are even more difficult to take considering the extreme workload which goes into preparing for each match.

At 37, Stafford is one of the youngest managers in the Irish League, but he’s taking these new experiences in his stride.

"There's no doubt that it's a 24/7 job,” he said. “You have to be contactable and there's no real switching off.

"It's a very demanding job and I have so much respect for anybody who manages or coaches a team, never mind in the Irish League.

"There's so much that goes into it and I'm lucky to have so much support from the local people and the chairman, but I also have a brilliant staff.

"The big thing I've learnt is you need good people around you. When I was at Linfield they always had great characters and staff around the changing room and you can see why - they are so important when the going gets tough."

Stafford has experienced the thrill of winning on many occasions throughout his career – he scored in Linfield’s famous European victory over Qarabag while the Blues won 145 of 190 Premiership matches during his time at Windsor Park – but there’s something different about the feeling in this role.

"It's a great feeling getting a result and it's very rewarding because of the amount of work that goes in,” added Stafford. “You'd be more happy for the players because I know how much they put in and what they are going through physically and mentally.

"The previous season was difficult and it was up to me to help them by getting the right people in to help the club have a more stable season."

Due to the nature of Stafford’s appointment one month before the start of last season, this summer has provided him with a real first taste of the phenomenon that is the transfer window.

Battling it out against a host of clubs for a similar pool of desirable players is a significant challenge, requiring countless hours of work in order to land targets, and Ballinamallard are in a further unique situation given their location.

Situated over 90 minutes away from Belfast, there can often be more attractive options for prospective signings, but that makes Stafford’s role even more important in selling the club’s vision.

"I've spoken to a lot of players who haven't came for one reason or the other, mainly due to travelling,” he said. “I've found it alright and I definitely think being involved as a player before has helped me with the contacts.

"The likes of Lorcan Donnelly (loan signing from Glentoran), I played against Elliott Morris a lot and we'd have a lot of respect for each other - that helped me get that deal done.

"We've a couple of players who have just signed and that's been months of work to get them, not just a phone call or two.

"The amount of work that goes in before the season is frightening, but you have to do it and if you don't lift the phone and keep at people, somebody else will nip in and take the player. You have to strike when the iron is hot and back your gut.

"It's a steep learning curve. You're learning on the job...I do feel more comfortable going into this season because I feel it's as if I'm getting an opportunity to put my stamp on the squad now.”

Stafford also found himself calling on experience of working with previous managers, including Northern Ireland legend David Healy, who arrived at Windsor Park only a matter of months after the defender.

Healy has since went on to win six Premiership titles in nine full seasons alongside guiding Linfield to the verge of European group stage football on two occasions, but it’s his manner which had the biggest impact on Stafford and the manager he wants to be.

"Whitey Anderson was my manager at Ballinamallard and then David Healy was a huge influence on me with the way he did things and spoke to the players,” he added. “David wasn't one to speak an awful lot...he spoke to the players regularly and was a brilliant communicator, but he wasn't one who would be filling you full of information and speaking all the time.

"He was to the point and he got what he needed to say across quickly and accurately without waffling on. I'm the same in that I don't speak a huge amount and on a Saturday there's no lectures going on."