Longford manager Mike Solan reflects on the great competition for places

Longford senior football manager Mike Solan has said he is happy with the pre-season preparation and they have a 'good wide base' in their squad and 'great competition for places'.

The Ballaghaderreen man is preparing for his second season in charge, which begins with the National Football League campaign opener against Waterford in Dungarvan on Saturday. 

Solan's management team includes Enda McGahern from Colmcille, who guided Longford to a massive Leinster minor football championship success in 2024 and new addition Joe Keane who worked with Solan when they won the All Ireland with the Mayo Under-21s in 2016.

Keane, who most recently spent seven years as chief coach with Sligo, replaces Michael Moyles who has departed after one season.

Solan said they are looking forward to the upcoming Division 4 opener and he is pleased with their preparations.

"Like everybody, you're trying to balance the commitments of the lads who are playing college football and the lads who played on with their clubs in the Leinster campaigns.

"But yeah, we'd be happy with the pre-season we've had."

Solan said apart from midfielder Dáire Duggan, who is the only injury concern and long term absentee, they have a clean bill of health.

"We've a couple of knocks, the same as everybody would have coming off the pre-season, but we'd be largely happy with the squad that we have."

The Mayo man agreed it's positive they have almost everyone available.

 "Yes it is,  because it's coming into a very intensive time of the year where you have seven league games in nine weeks.

"So we've got a good wide base in our squad and we've got great competition for places within the squad, which is exactly what we need."

Asked if their pre-season aim was focused on giving younger players some game time and trying to develop them, Solan agreed it will be about further development.

"You know, the aim of the pre-season is to get as much work done as we possibly can and then get, I suppose, to expose the players to as much game time as we possibly can at this level.

"There's some lads that are new in, some lads that are more experienced. So it's just trying to get that blend right and just make sure that you give everybody a chance and try to get as much game time into people as we can."

Asked about whether they had any specific targets for the campaign, Solan said they will be "taking it a game at a time".

"We've been preparing for Waterford and we'll give that game the respect it deserves in the same way that we will for every other game that we play. So, we won't be setting out any grand plans at the start."

Solan said they will be trying to get their performances to as 'high a level as they possibly can' and they have a 'fair few lads' playing Sigerson football at the moment which is great.

"Now it's very busy and it's a heavy workload on the lads who are playing with their colleges.

"But it's good to have lads playing football at third level as well, in terms of developing their games and being exposed to that high standard at college level."