Jim Gavin
By John Harrington
Dublin manager Jim Gavin says he’s ‘very enthusiastic’ about the two-year extension he has agreed with the reigning All-Ireland Champions.
His current agreement was due to run out at the end of this season, but the new one will bring up to the end of their 2019 campaign.
“I'd regularly sit down with the County Board and discuss how the team is progressing,” said Gavin today at the launch of the Leinster Senior Football and Hurling Championships.
“Those reviews would be periodic throughout the year. After '15 we agreed for another two years to bring us up to '17, and we recently agreed to push that out to '19.
“That's just part of the process. I'm enjoying the role and the responsibility. It's a very privileged position to be working with fantastic players who have been developed by the clubs. I'm very enthusiastic for the years '18 and '19.”
Dublin manager Jim Gavin before the game at Croke Park.
Dublin have won three All-Ireland titles, four Leinster titles and four Allianz Football League titles since Gavin took charge of the team in 2013, but he still believes the team has further room for improvement.
“You have to,” said Gavin. “We're going in the right direction, and if you remain static at all then teams will simply just pass you by. Everybody is looking to improve. And there is only a bounce of a ball between us.
“We saw it in the Football League Final this year, we saw it in the All-Ireland Final series last year. So between those teams at the end of the season there's only a bounce of a ball, so you have to keep progressing and you have to keep learning.
“I would like to think there's progress being made and there are some new players that I'm excited to introduce to the squad and see how they get on. Yeah, it's just a very enjoyable time.”
Gavin has hardly put a foot wrong so far as Dublin manager, but believes that he too has the ability to improve in the role over the coming years.
“Self-awareness is a key characteristic of any manager,” he said. “You have to have that emotional intelligence. You always have to look elsewhere.
“You're probably a bit like a magpie to see if you can pick up different ideas from hurling and gaelic football as well as other sports.
“You're always searching for an improvement because you realise that what worked in the past, there's no guarantee that will work in the future.
“You always have to keep innovating and moving forward.”
