Mick McDermott sets his sights on Glentoran title tilt

They may have landed their first piece of silverware in five years but Mick McDermott has challenged his Glentoran players to go one better next season.
Glentoran Head Coach Mick McDermottGlentoran Head Coach Mick McDermott
Glentoran Head Coach Mick McDermott

It has been over a decade since the Glens last celebrated a league title win, but McDermott says he will be going all out for it next season and demanded the same appetite from his players.

“We aren’t just going to show up and play games next season,” he said.

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“We are going for that next year and the players will have to agree to that. We will ask them what their goal is and if they want to do it we will have to sacrifice again.

“It is easy to say we want to win the league but you have to put down on paper what are you willing to give up to get it.

“They have to suffer me and like I said I wake up in the morning sometimes and don’t like what I see in the mirror a lot of times so I can only imagine what they have to deal with but if you want to accomplish something you can’t make it easy.

“I see life too easy for our kids and if you want to accomplish anything you have to make it hard and I have been hard on everyone all season, from the board, to the staff, to the volunteers to the players.

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“I am delighted for the players to win the cup. I am not easy to work with. I know that. I don’t like me some day and they don’t and they have had to suffer me for a year, the staff, the players. You don’t know but I have my battles with them every day.

“As I tell them if you want to achieve anything in life you have to suffer. They did that, they suffered me, they suffered more training, more days in, less days off and they paid a price this season and I am proud of every single one of them.

It was a whirlwind 24 hours at The Oval. After bringing the Irish Cup back to east Belfast work began on the squad for next season.

Conor Pepper and Navid Nasseri made the cross-town switch to rivals Linfield, but Glentoran announced three new arrivals of their own bringing in Luke McCullough, Jamie McDonagh and Rory Brown.

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The Glens coach reflected on a challenging 12 months after leading Glentoran to their first piece of silverware in five years.

McDermott has had to deal with a number of tough tests, on and off the pitch, since his arrival at The Oval.

So to finish the season with a major trophy was particularly sweet for him.

“We have had a hard year as a family,” said McDermott.

“Moving here a year and a half ago, after 26 years away and landed here and everything started at Glentoran in March and April.

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“I took control of those final seven matches last season, had a pre-season with players, signed players when the paper meant nothing because the takeover deal didn’t happen until July 5.

“I was stressing out everyday and having sleepless nights, fighting with the board, getting the takeover done and then assembling the team.

“Then my wife was kicked out of the country and I was making dinners for our kids, the club getting investigated by NIFL and the IFA.

“You name it we went through it over the past year or so.

“Two months being investigated and that lingering in the back of your head and waking uo at night wondering what is going on was not nice.

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“Then Covid hit and we had a break and everything that went on then.

“For me this has been one of the hardest years I’ve ever had and I would say this is the hardest job I have ever been involved in.”

The Head Coach also spoke of his admiration for captain Marcus Kane, who has also had to overcome some tough times off the playing field.

“Marcus has had a hard year too,” he said.

"I went to school with Marcus’s family from Glencairn and my family has known his family for a long time.

“There is a lot more than him just being the captain.

“I am really proud of him. He has been brilliant.

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“He is a better human than he is a captain and I am delighted he is with us."

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