Ryan: McGeeney helped me get Kildare job
The 2002 All-Ireland winning captain’s ousting left the door open for the former Wexford boss but he was effusive in his praise for McGeeney, who has since joined Paul Grimley’s ticket in his native Armagh.
Ryan, who said he is nowhere close to finalising his backroom team, said: “I’m very grateful [to him]. Kieran is a guy who gave me an opportunity to work with Kildare in 2013 and without that I wouldn’t have the opportunity to be manager of the team so I’m delighted.
“In one year with Kieran McGeeney I learned a huge amount. They’ve made a valuable contribution to Kildare football over the last six years. This [coming] year will be different purely by them not being around but I don’t think Kieran’s contribution to Kildare football will be forgotten.”
Kildare under McGeeney played an easy-on-the-eye brand of football and Ryan is promising more of the same next season albeit with his own touches.
He told KFM Radio: “Each person that manages a team has a slightly different personality and an aspect of your personality comes through your team and I’d like to think that Kildare will be very energetic in 2014, playing an exciting brand of football that people will enjoy watching and the players will enjoy playing.”
Ryan said Kildare must look at why they didn’t execute basic skills in prominent games like their Leinster semi-final defeat to Dublin. But he did acknowledge 2013 had generally been an impressive one for Kildare.
“I think I’m coming in at a time that is really vibrant for Kildare football. Last year in the big picture scale of things football wise was incredibly successful. You had the juniors, minors and U21s winning the Leinster title, the senior team getting to a National League semi-final and for the first time in competitive games beating Kerry, Cork, Donegal and Mayo.”
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