Time to forget 90s glories, warns new Kildare boss Glenn Ryan

Kildare Captain Glenn Ryan celebrating Leinster title success 

New Kildare senior football manager Glenn Ryan has said it is time to forget about the glory days of the late nineties and “start making a new successful era” for the county.

Ryan, along with three members of his backroom team, Anthony Rainbow, Dermot Earley, and Brian Lacey, were the leading figures on a Kildare team that in 1998 delivered the county’s first Leinster senior football crown in 42 years and the county’s first All-Ireland final appearance in 63 years.

A further member of Ryan’s backroom team, Johnny Doyle, had arrived on the scene for Kildare’s 2000 Leinster final win, with all five men picking up at least one All-Star award during their playing days in white.

But while the recommendation of Ryan for the post of Kildare manager and the make-up of his backroom team has led to much reminiscing about Kildare’s rise to the top table under Mick O’Dwyer almost a quarter of a century ago, Ryan said it is time for the county to stop looking back and to instead create a new success story.

“You mentioned the 90's there, maybe it is time we left those (days) behind us and start making a new successful era for ourselves,” he told KFM this Monday morning.

Doyle, Rainbow, and Earley were listed as coach/selectors in the official announcement by Kildare GAA last Friday evening, with Ryan this morning revealing that another old teammate, Lacey, will also be part of the backroom team in an “analysis” role.

Ryan, who is to be formally ratified at a county committee meeting later this month, said the new management team is “much more” than a crew of friends and former teammates coming together.

“To go into this type of position, you need to be able to work with people that you can trust, that are loyal to you, that you can have rows with, fall out, fall in, but enjoy doing all that.

“I have had wonderful days with these fellas, both on the pitch and off it, but one thing they are — they are hugely respected in their roles that they are going to be doing within our management team.

“And what they will give to Kildare will be their absolute heart and soul. Not for themselves, but for the players, so that they can reach levels that we failed to do, but also to give the supporters something that they can be proud of, as well.” 

The two-time All-Star centre-back credited his predecessor Jack O’Connor for the “great position” he has left Kildare in.

The Lilywhites, off the back of a promotion play-off win over Meath earlier this year, will play in Division 1 of the League in 2022, while they also reached this season’s Leinster final.

"Some people would say you are better off at the bottom and work your way up. Absolutely not. The bar is at a level that you need to be jumping in and making sure that standards are very high from the very beginning. Hopefully we can bring it on to another stage.”