Tales from the training camp

With the first week of pre-season training over, Roddy Collins took time to speak to James O’Toole, the club’s press officer about the first week and how things are shaping up so far.

s ” I’m delighted with the way the lads have kept their fitness up during the off season, with most of them coming back in really good shape. Enda and Danny joined up with the squad and they have been welcomed into the Derry City family with open arms. All the players are getting on really well at the minute and that's always good news with a tough schedule ahead of them. Of course we have been joined by a number of trialists who I asked to join us this week to see if they can become part of the squad and so far they have impressed both myself and Peter.

In particular Leon McSweeney and Mark Stewart have both impressed me, and Marvin Torvic has also upped his intensity since arriving at the start of the week.   We hope to be joined on Monday by former Sligo Rovers and Institute left back Iarfhlaith Davoren and then Tim Clancy will join up with the team on the 27th of January”.

The Manager also spoke of the partnership that he has helped forge between the Vale Centre and Derry City since his arrival. ” I happened upon the Vale Centre on my way up to Derry just before Christmas and dropped in to see the facility first hand. After being shown around by the staff, I had a meeting with one of the directors of the facility, Paddy McGuinness, and an agreement was put in place with the Vale Centre for our pre season training and into the future. The Vale Centre is a perfect fit for Derry City FC.

The facility has a state of the art astro pitch as well as a top quality grass pitch for us to do our training on. They also have a good gym that the players can use during the day, a full canteen so the lads can have something to eat in between sessions, and a resident physio who can be called upon in emergencies.”

Columba Mailey from the Vale Centre also spoke to Cityweb about the link up with the club, “Having a professional team training here at the centre has been great for us over the last two weeks.

It really has started a bit of a buzz around the centre and within the local Greysteel community. The surrounding area would predominately be a GAA heavy community so to have a side like Derry City come here for their pre-season camp has been great. We have noticed a lot of the local school children have been coming down just to watch the lads train and that’s great, not just for Derry City but for all of us here who are involved with the Vale Centre.”

A number of fans have been in touch with queries as regards the players who have been at training this week.  A complete list is included below.

Derry City Squad 2014

Goalkeepers
Ger Doherty
Ciaran Gallagher

Defenders 
Shane Mceleney
Ryan McBride
Roddy Collins Jnr

Midfielders 
Barry Molloy
Danny Ventre
Barry McNamee
Michael Duffy
Patrick McEleney

Strikers 
Rory Patterson
Enda Curran
Ryan Curran

Trialists

Defenders — Dean Jarvis, Marvin Torvic, Caoimhin Bonner,
Midfielders — Leon McSweeney, Tony McNamee,
Forwards — Mark Stewart, Aaron Patterson

View full article

 

(unsubscribe from this feed)