Mailey Happy to commit to Harps
Credit:
(This interview first appeared in The Donegal News)
Like an outlaw from a Clint Eastwood or John Wayne western, Packie Mailey has carried a bounty on his head for the past six weeks.
But unlike Josey Wales or Liberty Valance, Mailey was wanted not for wrongdoing or delinquency but for his ability to nullify the threat posed by opposing sharpshooters.
Since the end of the 2010 League of Ireland campaign Derry City have been trying desperately to lure the Finn Harps captain across the border to sign for the newly-crowned First Division champions.
It has proven a long and much talked about saga but one that the Convoy man is now glad to have put to rest after he penned a new deal to keep him at Finn Harps, the team he supported as a boy, for one more year at least.
“I’m definitely glad to finally put everything to bed so I can get myself in the right frame of mind with the start of the new season not far off. It’s good to get it out of the way and I’m just looking forward to the season ahead,” the towering centre-half told the Donegal News this week.
Mailey, who has made 59 appearances for Harps since joining in 2009, turned down a better offer, financially, from Derry and, instead, has accepted a substantially less rewarding contract from Harps.
The 22-year-old admitted the chance to pit himself against technically better players in the Premier Division was very appetising, but that is something he hopes to do someday with his beloved Harps.
“The two offers were very good. The Derry one was financially very strong and it was nice to be offered that. But there were a lot of things going through my mind that had me going back and forward for quite some time.
“What stuck out from the Harps side of things was basically the chance to continue to play first-team football week in, week out. That’s what it’s all about at the end of the day, not that I would think my place is guaranteed or anything like that but I know that if I keep myself in top shape then I’ll be a regular in the team.
“With Derry, the chance would’ve been there to play in the Premier Division against the so-called better players in the Airtricity League, but that is something I am hopeful I can achieve with Harps if given the time.”
FUTURE PLANS
Mailey recognised that it’s early days in terms of setting goals for the season ahead but insisted that, in the space of a couple of seasons, Harps really need to be back in the top tier of Irish football.
He said: “It’s hard to set a realistic goal at this stage of the year, we’ve only just started back with pre-season, but it’s definitely in our own hands whatever we aim to do. It’s probably down to how much the players want to play at a higher level.
“Speaking from my own point of view, I’d like to think that in one or two year’s time we will be playing in the Premier Division. With all the talk of the new stadium, it would be nice if we could go into it playing in the top flight.”
The Finn Harps squad returned for pre-season training last Saturday and were quickly back into the thick of things.
“It was good to get back with the boys, the atmosphere is always really good when we’re together. They were delighted to be back in training and once we started up it was straight back down to work again. “A lot of the lads seem like they have been keeping in great nick over Christmas. There weren’t too many cobwebs, which was good to see.”
2011 CAPTAINCY UNDECIDED
Mailey revealed nothing has yet been said regarding the captaincy for the forthcoming campaign, but said that if he were asked to take on the responsibility again he wouldn’t hesitate for a second.
“It was a great honour and a privilege to be captain of such a good bunch of lads last season, but nothing has yet been said about this year. But I’ll continue to work hard on all aspects of my game and if James (Gallagher) feels he wants me to be captain then I’d jump at the chance to take it on again.”
Like an outlaw from a Clint Eastwood or John Wayne western, Packie Mailey has carried a bounty on his head for the past six weeks.
But unlike Josey Wales or Liberty Valance, Mailey was wanted not for wrongdoing or delinquency but for his ability to nullify the threat posed by opposing sharpshooters.
Since the end of the 2010 League of Ireland campaign Derry City have been trying desperately to lure the Finn Harps captain across the border to sign for the newly-crowned First Division champions.
It has proven a long and much talked about saga but one that the Convoy man is now glad to have put to rest after he penned a new deal to keep him at Finn Harps, the team he supported as a boy, for one more year at least.
“I’m definitely glad to finally put everything to bed so I can get myself in the right frame of mind with the start of the new season not far off. It’s good to get it out of the way and I’m just looking forward to the season ahead,” the towering centre-half told the Donegal News this week.
Mailey, who has made 59 appearances for Harps since joining in 2009, turned down a better offer, financially, from Derry and, instead, has accepted a substantially less rewarding contract from Harps.
The 22-year-old admitted the chance to pit himself against technically better players in the Premier Division was very appetising, but that is something he hopes to do someday with his beloved Harps.
“The two offers were very good. The Derry one was financially very strong and it was nice to be offered that. But there were a lot of things going through my mind that had me going back and forward for quite some time.
“What stuck out from the Harps side of things was basically the chance to continue to play first-team football week in, week out. That’s what it’s all about at the end of the day, not that I would think my place is guaranteed or anything like that but I know that if I keep myself in top shape then I’ll be a regular in the team.
“With Derry, the chance would’ve been there to play in the Premier Division against the so-called better players in the Airtricity League, but that is something I am hopeful I can achieve with Harps if given the time.”
FUTURE PLANS
Mailey recognised that it’s early days in terms of setting goals for the season ahead but insisted that, in the space of a couple of seasons, Harps really need to be back in the top tier of Irish football.
He said: “It’s hard to set a realistic goal at this stage of the year, we’ve only just started back with pre-season, but it’s definitely in our own hands whatever we aim to do. It’s probably down to how much the players want to play at a higher level.
“Speaking from my own point of view, I’d like to think that in one or two year’s time we will be playing in the Premier Division. With all the talk of the new stadium, it would be nice if we could go into it playing in the top flight.”
The Finn Harps squad returned for pre-season training last Saturday and were quickly back into the thick of things.
“It was good to get back with the boys, the atmosphere is always really good when we’re together. They were delighted to be back in training and once we started up it was straight back down to work again. “A lot of the lads seem like they have been keeping in great nick over Christmas. There weren’t too many cobwebs, which was good to see.”
2011 CAPTAINCY UNDECIDED
Mailey revealed nothing has yet been said regarding the captaincy for the forthcoming campaign, but said that if he were asked to take on the responsibility again he wouldn’t hesitate for a second.
“It was a great honour and a privilege to be captain of such a good bunch of lads last season, but nothing has yet been said about this year. But I’ll continue to work hard on all aspects of my game and if James (Gallagher) feels he wants me to be captain then I’d jump at the chance to take it on again.”
