Colm Horgan to play the waiting game

Having made 14 appearances and registered three assists for the Candy Stripes last year, the Galway native says he spoke to manager Declan Devine a number of weeks back and now needs to start thinking about his future.

Horgan, who joined the Candy Stripes after a successful trial last year, is currently weighing up a university course for the summer, proof that even now he’s beginning to plan for life after football.

“I spoke to Decky a few weeks after the season ended and I haven’t heard anything else since,” explained Horgan.

“I understand that there’s a lot of stuff probably going on in the background and the club is trying to get things sorted, so I have nothing against the club or anything like that.

“Maybe Declan will still ring me. I had a great time last year when I played, I loved it. I like playing under Decky and thought I did well enough myself when I got to play so, yeah, it’s something I would definitely like to do again.

“I understand with the way things are at the moment, and with talks that the league is going to be pushed back, nothing is straightforward. It is what it is at the moment but, as I said, I would be delighted to come back. Even if that doesn’t work out, I’ll still be looking at Derry’s results because I have a lot of friends in the team now and hopefully they do well.

“I’m hoping to go back to university but that would depend on a few different things and it wouldn’t be until September. At the minute I have nothing at all lined up and while I spoke to Decky a few weeks after the season ended but that’s about it. I also spoke to Ollie (Horgan - Finn Harps manager) but from what he told me his budget had gone so at the minute I’m just waiting to see.

“If I do go to university, then UCD is maybe something I’ll look at, for sure.”

Recently Horgan said his goodbyes on the Derry players’ WhatsApp chat group, a modern day signal of departure, but he says he did that because he feels only signed players should be in that group.

“When you aren’t officially part of the team, I didn’t feel comfortable being in the WhatsApp group with the boys,” he insisted. “I just said to them, at this stage, it looks like I won’t be back and wished them all the best.

“As I said, when I did play I was happy with my own performances and I thought I did okay. Obviously you want to play every single week but I understand the competition is tough as well, especially with the likes of Darren Cole playing there. He’s got a lot of experience and is a quality player so I had to work hard and try to do my best whenever I got the chance.”

With pre-season training getting under way up and down the country in the coming weeks, Horgan would be forgiven if he was a little worried about where he will be plying his trade next season but he doesn’t see it like that and won’t be signing anywhere just for the sake of it. In fact, the 26-year-old may even sit the start of pre-season out before joining a club, a scenario which doesn’t overly concern him.

“I won’t rush into anything to be honest and I won’t be signing anything just for the sake of it,” he added.

“First and foremost, I would only do it if it was right for myself. I’m not too fussed about missing the start of pre-season. Even last year when I went on trial to Derry, that was a couple of weeks into pre-season and I was still flying fit so I have no issues with that whatsoever.

“I always do my own running and stuff. Anybody I ever played with will be able to tell you there would be no issues in terms of the fitness side of things. Yes, obviously you want to be back playing football and it’s good to know what you are doing but, as I said, the way things are at the moment who even knows if I’ll have a club.

“Even if that turns out to be the case then so be it, I’ll find something else to do with myself. Getting a job and not playing won’t be the end of the world.”