Caulfield says McBride could have played in any team

Cork City manager John Caulfield yesterday paid tribute to Ryan McBride, calling the former Derry City captain “a no-nonsense, leader”.

“We all know what tragedy is,” the Rebels boss admitted at a press conference on Tuesday.

“He was a player that any manager in this country would want in their team, a top centre-back, a captain and a leader.

“It’s such a shock to everyone and it shows how fickle we are as we’re all mad passionate and we think the game is everything but something like this puts it into perspective.

“He was a tremendous player and at 27 was probably at the peak of his career and you could see that through the way both he and Derry had started the season.”

Caulfield also reflected upon McBride’s loyalty to his home-town club, comparing his love for Derry City to that of his own side’s stalwarts, Mark McNulty and Alan Bennett.

“I think he was a player that every manager in this league would want but to be fair he was born in the Brandywell and was a Derry lad and probably the (same as the) Nults and the Bennos down here.

“While a lot of people would want them; you couldn’t see them going up the country and playing with someone else.

“But certainly, if I could have gotten him down here I’d have gladly taken him but his roots were in Derry.

“It’s just a tragedy and for all the people around him and the club; it’s trying to get their head around it which is going to be very difficult.

“And like I’ve said, we’re all mad about the football and think it means everything but there are a lot of bigger things out there and I suppose the older you get you realise that.”

He continued: “I think he was everything good about the game. He was a really hard centre-back, really tough and in the modern era where you having players faking and diving all over the place he was strong in the air, aggressive and everything that a manager would want in a centre-back.

“He got a lot of goals from set-pieces and he would have always been the key guy that we would have identified for Derry set-pieces. He was the number one guy to pick-up and he scored against us in the cup a couple of years ago and also in the league.

“Overall, he showed massive leadership and was a very good footballer but people could see that he was a no-nonsense, no messing guy that everybody would want him in their team and I suppose that’s the highest compliment that you could pay him; that everybody in this country would want him in their team and there’s not many that you could say that about.”

The Candystripes had started the season superbly with four wins from four in the league prior to McBride’s death, but Caulfield is unsure as to how this loss will affect Kenny Shiels’ men.

“It’s difficult. It effects some people in the team more so than others and there’s no easy way through it. So particularly seeing the type of player that he was; a lot of the team looked up to him and you only need to put it into context if it happened in your own club the impact it would have.”