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"He's cut-throat. We g...

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"He's cut-throat. We got a right shock when he came in the first time" - Aidan O'Shea relishing Horan's Mayo return

98FM
98FM

03:04 9 Oct 2018


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It's all change for Mayo heading into next year but there will still be a sense of familiarity on the sideline.

James Horan is back as Mayo senior football manager on a four-year term to renew his acquaintances with a team he guided to consecutive All Ireland finals in 2012 and 2013 and also led to three Connacht triumphs.

"He's cut-throat. We got a right shock when he came in the first time" - Aidan O'Shea relishing Horan's Mayo return

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Aidan O'Shea was part of those journeys as a younger player and the Heinz ambassador joined Joe Molloy in studio to talk about Mayo's most recent challenges, life with the club and the future under Horan. 

"Once I saw his name going in, I was happy to see his name go in for the job," said O'Shea of Horan's return.

"He's cut-throat. We got a right shock when he came in the first time. We were just coasting along and then all of a sudden opened their eyes and then, 'Woah, this is the expectation'. 

"It took a little bit of getting used to. [He's] just very demanding and he expects excellence in everything we do. The standards are never to slip and if they are, they're called out.

"He comes from a multinational background that's a process driven and oriented environment."

There is an uncertainty about this Mayo team's chances of challenging again for an All Ireland after a disappointing 2018 when their season ended far earlier than it had done for quite some time in this era. 

"I don't think there's anybody from the squad from last year thinking we're going to get back to an All Ireland final," said O'Shea.

"I think if we're being realistic, there has been a decline in our performance levels. Are we going to be competing for All Ireland finals straight away in 2019? No, maybe not. But maybe we need to reinvent ourselves."   

Today, Heinz is launching Heinz Sports Club – an initiative the brand cooked up to support young people in their pursuit of sport by offering free clothing and equipment to sports clubs and schools around the country.  

Sports fans can collect Heinz Beanz tokens on select packs for a choice of sports kit for their club or school. Visit heinz.ie/teamz for more information.


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