Wayne Sherlock with his eyes on the main prize now after journey from Cork under-20s with Pat Ryan
'It's not about free gear or claps on the back. Winning the All-Ireland is the aim above all other aims.'
When a managerial vacancy arose in Cork two years ago this month, the county board didn’t hang around too long.
Kieran Kingston announced that he wouldn’t be continuing on July 3. The next day it emerged that Pat Ryan’s name would be put forward for ratification the following evening.
Ryan had served his time on the Cork management team under Kingston previously and then won two All-Ireland under-20 titles as a manager so there was no need for an exhaustive search.
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Wayne Sherlock was part of his under-20 management and moved with Ryan to the seniors, as have many of the players by now. Seven of their former under-20s featured in the semi-final win over Limerick earlier this month.
"I suppose when we went in for the under-20 job, in our first meeting as a management group we said that our ambition was to make players good enough to play senior for Cork,” Sherlock explains. “That was the main aim and we were lucky enough to win two All-Irelands while doing it.
“But our goal, and it should be the goal in every underage team, is to make sure that you're getting fellas ready to play senior.
“When we then got involved with the seniors, seeing the fellas coming through has been absolutely brilliant. Pat makes no bones about it and he told the players - the reason anyone plays senior for Cork is to win an All-Ireland.
“Whether you haven't won one in 19 years or two years, the ambition is to win an All-Ireland. It's not about free gear or claps on the back. Winning the All-Ireland is the aim above all other aims.
“And I think this team is really starting to believe in their ability to do that. Hopefully they'll put in a performance against Clare that deserves an All-Ireland.
“But we're all on the same wavelength. Pat has said from the start that this team needs to win something and we're there to try and facilitate that."
Ryan, Sherlock and Brendan Coleman, another selector, were all part of the victorious Cork panel of 1999 that will be feted tomorrow as the silver jubilee team, with Sherlock’s son and daughter vying over the privilege to represent him earlier in the week.
"In fairness to the lads from '99, Mark Landers, Fergal Ryan and the lads, the prep for this is going on for the last two months.
“I suppose when we were first contacted about it, we were in a different place then to where we are now. It's something myself, Pat and Brendan are going to miss but that's a great complaint to have.
“If things go well, we'll see the lads afterwards because we're staying in the same hotel. It would be class to meet up afterwards and share memories in that case. But it would be great to make new some new memories too."
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