The second coming for Shaun Paul Barrett as he returns to the Donegal sideline

It was 10 days before the first Covid lockdown would commence across the island of Ireland in March 2020 when Shaun Paul Barrett last managed a competitive inter-county match as manager. Little did anyone know the world was about to change forever. 

It was on that March afternoon when Donegal’s U-20 footballers suffered defeat in the Ulster final as a Darragh Canavan goal powered Tyrone to a five-point win. 

We now see players like Aaron Doherty and Rory O’Donnell often make impactful appearances for Donegal at a senior level. While it might only be four years ago, it’s strange how much time has changed. 

But that hasn’t discouraged the Milford manager from giving the inter-county scene another rattle. If anything, controlling his excitement might be the main thing. 

At Breffni Park, when Donegal face off against Cavan, who last won this competition in 2014. 

“You can only be looking forward to the match tomorrow,” said Barrett. “We’ve been training for the last few months trying to get the team ready. Thankfully it’s a round-robin this season, but the first match against Cavan away was always our target, we’ve done our homework on Cavan and I think we’re ready. 

“We’re no different to any other county in Ulster, there’s nine counties in this province and we’re all looking for the same thing. We’re targeting the Ulster championship, that’s the aim, but we know it’ll be difficult, we have good talent in our own group – Cavan, Armagh and Fermanagh – but we have to just take it one game at a time.” 

In analysing the difference since he was last involved in inter-county management, Barrett looks at his preparation the same way he looks at his style of football, by doing everything as simple as it can be. 

“I think football is a very simple game,” he said. “What’s the objective in the game? You kick it over the bar on one side and you stop the team from scoring down the other side. The game has never changed and the preparation hasn’t changed, it’s still something that needs to be done at a high level, that’s never changed either. 

In terms of the game, I like the lads to go out and express themselves and used the basic skills of the game, that’s what you need to be a top player and a top team.” 

In terms of building a squad however, the Milford manager notes that he will have to make do without a number of key players due to unfortunate injuries. 

“Unfortunately, we have a number of injuries coming into tomorrow. We’ve lost Ryan Barrett for the entire season, he’s done his cruciate playing college football. We also lost Callum McCrea who injured himself playing for the Abbey at the weekend in the All-Ireland final, but he should be back soon. 

“Look, we have about seven or eight injuries, but all that means is that the other players will have to step up to the marker, that’s why we have a squad, and we have faith in our squad.”