The Big Interview: We Interview New Wexford Senior Football Manager, John Hegarty

John Hegarty doesn’t shirk a challenge…

It’s not often a man takes a look at his life as a deputy principal of one of the county’s most renowned schools and a local politician and think he needs more hardship in his life. And yet, the new Wexford Senior Football boss has done just that. 

You’d imagine that the only job that gets more abuse from the general public than a representative of the ruling government party is the man on the sidelines for the county team but John says the well wishers have been out in force for now anyway. 

“The first response from everybody that has contacted me was a huge outpouring of positivity and maybe that’s not always something you would associate with the politician role. But I do understand that this is the honeymoon period and it could be all different if results don’t go well. Certainly the feedback so far has been very positive and maybe that’s a bit different to some of my other roles.”

There’s two lines of thought as to whether now is the best time to take over a team at a low ebb like Wexford. There’s those who believe you shouldn’t touch it with a barge pole as there’s only so far you can bring a team that has been underperforming for years. It’s why managers from outside the county have thrown their hands up and left right quick and while predecessor Shane Roche’s time was seen as encouraging, ultimately Wexford remain in a tough spot rooted near the bottom of Division Four. John comes from the other camp who sees the only way is up and that when your county comes calling, you answer. 

“I don’t think there’s ever a right time to take on a challenge like this. If you’re waiting for everything to be perfect, you’ll never do anything. Shane established continuity and stability and got a core group of the best footballers in Wexford buying into what he was saying. I think it’s a credit to him and his management team that those players stuck with him despite the fact sometimes they didn’t have the results to fall back on. Some of those results, the Championship wins against Wicklow and Offaly who were operating at higher levels, they were markers for the future that the lads that are involved can see what is possible if you get things right on the day.”

If Wexford are to escape the bottom tier, at least they have a man at the helm who has done it before. The former Kilanerin man’s time in the intercounty jersey coincided with the Yellowbellies rise from Division 2B (as it was then) to putting in a great effort and losing a Division 1 League final just three years later. He’s hoping to bring that experience of plugging away and putting in the work because he knows your rewards will come down the line. 

“I spent half my playing career slogging around in the lower divisions and the other in Division 1. They are different worlds but I think what worked then can work now. You had a core group of players who dedicated their time and bought into what they were trying to do and came up short some years. But we took the learnings, took the defeats and came back stronger the following year. 

“The Wexford supporters saw what we were committed to. One of the phrases that stuck with me from that time, when you went to see the Wexford footballers, you always knew you were getting everything they had. The supporters fed off that and I think the age profile of the players that are there now means it is possible to go and try to do something like that again over the next few years.”

The relative inexperience of the side has been an issue for the last few seasons. The departure of over 200 caps worth of knowledge from Brian Malone and Daithi Waters has proven hard to replace. It also puts an enormous amount of pressure on the likes of Ben Brosnan and Kevin O’Grady to carry the standard. The youth coming through have shown themselves to be willing and able and John feels the time is coming when the long hours put in on the winter training fields will finally burst into success in the summer sun.

“There are lads there who are young but they’ve put in 3,4 or 5 years with Wexford Football at this stage. Due to Covid and other things, last year was the first real league campaign that they’ve had so there’s an opportunity to build on that. I know from the club game, there’s lots of potential leaders from clubs all around the county. I’ll be expecting and demanding those lads to step up a little bit and to take on those leadership roles.”

While some previous managers were accused of not taking enough of an interest in the club game, the same can’t be said for the new head honcho. John’s current role as Shelmaliers head coach has proven very successful as they’re the only side in the senior ranks to win all five of their group games this season.

The defending champions also made a foray into Leinster last year coming up agonizingly short in their bid for a provincial decider. He’s promised not to just throw the jerseys solely on the Hollymount men but says anyone who shows courage and dedication to the cause will get a fair shake. 

“We’re looking for a very specific type of player and there’s plenty of them out there. The question is, do they have the desire, hunger and the willingness to do what it takes to live the life of a county player. If they do, then Wexford Football will be starting from a very good position.”

That goes for the backroom staff as well. There’s no white smoke on who will be lining up on the sideline alongside John and he’s keeping schtum about who’s on the cards. The whole country has gone mad for the men in the unseen roles this off season, but John says simply they’ll be the right people for the job. 

“These will be positive people with intercounty experience and they’ll bring enthusiasm that the lads can feed off. I’m really happy with those we have in place. There’s one or two left to be sorted out but the group that I’m assembling are people who are really good at what they do. You do need people who are experts in their field and I think we have that. I’m really excited about some of them to be honest.”

Excitement is a good way to finish because it oozes from John as he licks his lips thinking about what’s ahead. He wants no more doom and gloom around the big ball in a county that promises so much and yet delivers so little. His call to action for fans to get behind the team has been made before, but this time you believe it. 

John started his Purple and Gold career in the old All Ireland Senior B championship. He knows hard work. Between teaching the youth of today and fixing yesterday’s roads, he’s ready to give his all to a brighter tomorrow on the football field as well.

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