Paddy Bradley: No-one has spoken to me about Derry job

PADDY Bradley has not been spoken to regarding the vacant Derry job, despite speculation suggesting the former Oak Leaf forward could be the man to succeed Mickey Harte.

The Glenullin man is the latest to be linked with the role since Harte’s reign came to an end on July 8 after less than a year at the helm, with the rumour mill going into overdrive again earlier this week.

Following a busy summer/autumn on the inter-county managerial front, Derry are now the only county in Ireland still searching for a manager, with Leitrim announcing Down native Steven Poacher at the weekend before Clare appointed former Kerry manager Peter Keane – who was also spoken to about the Oak Leaf job – on Monday.

However Bradley, who served as Derry U20 manager from 2020 until ‘22 and has previously spoken of his desire to lead the county seniors at some point in his career, insisted: “I haven’t spoken to anyone regarding the Derry job.”

“It was tough on my mum and dad. I knew I was self-destructing. And I also knew the next phase of that, if I had carried on, it was not being here. I was in a very dark place...” - the life and times of Caolan Mooney

First-half goals set up final date for Magherafelt as they defeat Armagh’s finest

Speculation suggested Bradley could team up with Cargin boss Ronan Devlin, bringing an end to Derry’s long search for a new manager before counties are permitted to return to inter-county training on December 7.

Devlin was at a launch night for the Ulster club football championship in Armagh on Wednesday, as the Antrim kingpins look ahead to a provincial quarter-final showdown with the winners of Saturday’s preliminary meeting between Errigal Ciaran and St Eunan’s.

And the Ballinderry man was surprised to hear his name mentioned in connection with the Oak Leaf job.

“Me? No.

“I jumped into the car last night and I had loads of text messages… this is about 15 minutes after Cargin training, and I got a message from one of the fellas, he told me the message, that ‘Ronan Devlin told the Cargin men tonight that he was taking the Derry job’.

“Now, 15 minutes before that I had a good chat with the boys about this game [in the Ulster club SFC] – there was no mention of Derry. And there was no mention of Derry for a reason; because it’s nothing to do with me.

“Categorically, nothing. I’ve no idea where it came from.”

Paudie McGrogan, a key man in Derry’s back-to-back Ulster title triumphs in 2022 and ‘23, was also at the BOX-IT Athletic Grounds on Wednesday, representing newly-minted county champions Newbridge.

A cruciate ligament injury suffered in April brought a premature end to his club and county involvement this year, with McGrogan targeting a comeback with Derry next March.

And the Newbridge captain gave little away when asked about the ongoing situation regarding the lack of a new Oak Leaf manager.

“It’s been well documented, everybody has an opinion on it, but I don’t really have much to say about it.

“It is what it is now, it’s not up to me. I’m a football player, I can’t do anything about it. There’s time yet for it to be sorted out before the season turns again.

“We’ll worry about that when the time comes.”

Earlier this month Slaughtneil boss Mark Doran, who had been the frontrunner for the role, ruled himself out of becoming Derry manager, opting instead to take on a coaching role with Roscommon.

Former Footballer of the Year Karl Lacey, currently plotting Kilcoo’s assault on Ulster, also dismissed reports linking him with the job in the wake of the Magpies’ Down final victory over Burren.

“There’s absolutely no truth in that. I haven’t engaged in any conversation with Derry GAA,” said the Donegal All-Ireland winner.

“I just find it bizarre. My full focus is with Kilcoo, and that group [of players] know that. All my energy, all my commitment, all my dedication, everything, is just with this group at this moment in time.

“I haven’t engaged in any conversation about any inter-county job.”