Vinny Perth: It was a risky move in one sense, but it's easy to say now that it was the right one

As Stephen Kenny’s number two, Vinny Perth’s input to Dundalk’s success these last few years cannot be underestimated. However, Vinny has also held managerial positions and sampled domestic cup triumphs as a player and recently discussed his career in football with ExtraTime.ie.

Perth’s introductory meeting with Kenny occurred in 1998, when the teenager became the new Longford Town manager’s first signing and explains what tempted him to sign for the midlands outfit:

“I was with Cherry Orchard for a long time and I felt the time was right to move on. I had won everything as a schoolboy and Leinster Senior League player for one of the biggest clubs in Dublin at that level. It was to test myself and see if I was ready for the League of Ireland. Stephen called, gave me an opportunity and sold me Longford. He believed in me and many other players that we could become top footballers.”

Promotion to the Premier Division, cup final victories and European nights were all experienced during the Dubliner’s spell with Longford, but were the aforementioned accomplishments taken for granted by those involved?

“When you’re a player, you live in a bubble and don’t think it will stop ... You don’t realise what you’ve achieved. In a two-year period we won three of the four cups and were beaten by Pat’s in the final of the other one … You expect that to last forever. I speak to some of the lads regularly and we regret that we didn’t really celebrate and enjoy those successes as much as we should have.”

Although more than holding their own in the Premier Division, Vinny muses on why Longford excelled almost exclusively in domestic cup competitions back then:

 “It disappoints me that we didn’t do better in the league, for the players we had.  We were definitely a cup side because we had amazing spirit. The group managed each other, like all successful sides, but received great guidance from Alan Mathews. We were part-time, so you had to be an honest player … Committed in training and on the pitch. There was a tremendous camaraderie between the supporters and players. It was something which snowballed from nothing into expecting to be in cup finals.”

A lifelong St. Patrick’s Athletic follower, the midfielder joined his boyhood idols in 2005, but the Inchicore side finished a lowly 10^th position in the topflight that year:

 “I grew up a Pat’s fan and always wanted to play for them. I probably didn’t feature as much as I wanted to that season, but having said that, partnered Keith Fahey in the centre, so it’s something I’m glad I did. We were in relegation trouble and had a successful run at the end, which kept us in the league. It’s part of my career which I look back on fondly, even though we were scrapping around near the bottom of the division. For me, to play for Pat’s meant a lot and I’m probably still a fan of theirs. If Dundalk can’t win the league, I don’t mind if it’s Pat’s.”

The following season, Perth was a member of Shamrock Rovers’ First Division-wining squad – an unusual position for arguably the most famous League of Ireland club to find themselves in:

“I remember playing in Kilkenny and the old main stand was full, which it probably never was before or will be again. Because of the history and politics of Shamrock Rovers, it might be forgotten and I’m not one to talk myself up, but they needed me at the time. I was a big shot in the arm for that team … To help them get promoted, and I like to think that I played a big part in that.”

Vinny spent his final League of Ireland year with John Gill’s Dundalk in the second tier, but injuries restricted him to just 17 games:

 “I was never the best footballer in the world … I had to work hard and play a certain way to get where I did. For the talent I had, I overachieved and going to Dundalk was a season too far. The league was basically full-time in the Premier Division. My body wasn’t ready to play First Division football and I never should have gone there. At the end of the year I regretted it and felt I let the club down.”

Perth became Aaron Callaghan’s assistant at Longford and succeeded him in late 2008. So how did he adapt to his first League of Ireland managerial appointment?

 “It was a difficult time at Longford. You learn a lot because the club weren’t in a good place and there were a lot of challenges. The players weren’t overly committed to the club and that was understandable because there were issues with payment. We had some great results at the beginning and we avoided relegation, which was important to the club.”

The Killinarden native took over as Malahide United’s boss and enjoyed impressive progression within the Leinster Senior League, but an assistant manager role with Dundalk was offered to him from a persuasive source in early 2013:

“It was a risky move in one sense, but it’s easy to say now that it was the right one ... Dundalk had just stayed up in the Premier Division after a play-off. I had a great job with Malahide, as they’re one of the best clubs outside the League of Ireland. Facilities, work conditions were excellent and I was developing as a manager. We’d just won the Leinster Senior League First Division and were challenging in the top league. To become assistant manager at Dundalk – I knew how big the club was and it turned out to be a brilliant decision.”