New Meath role for Brendan Murphy

Profile by Fergal Lynch Updated: Wednesday, 21st December, 2011 4:54pm

Brendan Murphy.

Trim goalkeeper Brendan Murphy confirmed the worst kept secret in Gaelic football last week when he announced his retirement from the inter-county scene, but he then revealed that he will return to the Meath set-up when he takes over the role of goalkeeping coach from Gary Rogers.

Rogers filled the role last year where he worked with Murphy and Oldcastle's Patrick Coakley, but ahead of the new campaign Meath manager Seamus McEnaney has moved quickly to ensure Murphy's continued involvment.

"Seamus (McEnaney) rang me and asked me if I would be interested in becoming the regular goalkeeping coach and I agreed to help out. I had already given a commitment to train Trim for next year, so I will be giving one night a week to the county lads as well," Murphy told the Meath Chronicle.

"There was no way I could give the time and commitment necessary to keep going. I had told Seamus a good few weeks ago that I wouldn't be coming back to play, but he asked me if I could help out with the goalkeeping coaching.

"I was delighted to say yes to that because it is good to be still involved. I have been with the lads for so long that I have made some very good friends, so at least I will be able to stay in touch with the scene.

"It happens so often that when you are gone off a panel or out of the scene and you can lose touch, but this way I will still be involved," said Murphy.

He will work with David Gallagher, who is expected to succeed him between the posts. Gallagher was first choice goalkeeper for a couple of seasons before injury curtailed his involvement.

Murphy is excited with the opportunity and he is confident that he can offer something that has become a necessity for inter-county teams.

"Goalkeeping is a unique position. Goalkeepers think differently and they train differently, they need their own specific training and it is a very specialised position," said the Trim man.

"I used to take the goalkeeping training sessions when I was playing, but that wasn't ideal because I needed to be doing the training myself. Gary Rogers came in last year and I found him to be a great help.

"The day is gone where goalkeepers just join in with the training with the rest of the panel. Most inter-county teams have a goalkeeping coach involved for at least one session a week so it is the way forward.

"The lads will need a different type of training and hopefully that is what I will be able to bring. If you look around at all the inter-county coaches none of them were goalkeepers.

"They don't really understand the position, so it is important to have somebody there that knows the role and can offer advice, hopefully I will be able to bring that to Meath next year, from the sidelines," concluded Murphy.