Malachy O’Rourke says he’s excited by the challenge of taking on one of the biggest jobs in inter-county football.
The newly appointed Red Hand boss arrived at Garvaghey on Wednesday night tor the first time since accepting the role as successor to Brian Dooher and Feargal Logan.
And he said he wants to waste no time in getting down to work in preparing for a fresh challenge in 2025.
“It’s a feeling of great excitement, and I have to say I’m very privileged to be offered the role,” he said.
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“I know of the passion for football in the county, but at the same time I know that there’s great expectations.
“I’m going into the job with my eyes wide open. I know what’s in front of us.
“It’s a great challenge and I’m really looking forward to getting down to work, and it will be a case of getting down to business very soon and getting things sorted out.”
O’Rourke confirmed two members of his backroom team, Ryan Porter and Leo McBride, who have been working with him at Monaghan.
“The three of us have been together for the last 10, 15 years.
“The first thing about getting a management team together, it’s really important to have that chemistry between people.
“And I think the players need a consistency of message, and sometimes if you’re trying to fit people together, that isn’t always the case.
“The three of us know each other well, we have great trust between each other. We challenge each other as well, but we work well together.
“We’re working at getting another couple of people in to the immediate management team, and the beauty of it is that it gives us that wee bit of time to take a more measured approach.
“There’s no point in rushing in to something just to get something on paper, so it will be a case of getting people who we think will add real value.
“It’s about getting a management team who will give the players the very best chance of having success, and that’s what it’s all about.”
The new Tyrone boss is currently managing Derry club Glen, who he led to an All-Ireland title earlier this year, and he confirmed that he will be continuing in the role until their current championship campaign ends.
He admitted that the removal of the pre-season Dr McKenna Cup from the GAA calendar will cause some difficulties in terms of establishing a settled team ahead of the Allianz Leage, particularly for a new man in charge.
“I think the GPA are looking that collective training wouldn’t start until some time in December.
“That might create different challenges for us, but once we’re allowed back, we’ll have to look at players in challenge games.
“That was the beauty of the pre-season competitions, it gave you a chance to look at players, so we’ll have to go about it a different way.
“Playing challenge games and playing matches among ourselves, that will decide the make-up of the panel.”
O’Rourke, a Fermanagh native, has been living in Tyrone for several years, and played for and managed Errigal Ciaran, giving him an added insight into football in the county.
“I have been living in Tyrone now 32 years and I have seen a lot of football over that time and been involved with Errigal Ciaran.
“I would know a lot of players in the county, and I have an interest in football anyway, I would watch a lot of county football, watch a lot of club football.
“So I would have a fair grasp on the players in the county, but at the same time, I have still a lot of work to do to know exactly what they’re capable of, what type of characters they are.
“So that will all happen as time goes on, but that’s an enjoyable challenge.”
O’Rourke has not been involved in inter-county management since stepping down from his role as Monaghan boss five years ago, but admitted he always had an inkling that he would return.
“I thought I might some day. It wasn’t a thing that a I needed to do in many ways, but at the same time, I felt that if I kept coaching and things were going well, that that was a possibility and I never would have ruled it out.”
