Derry City's Performance Analysis coach Seamus McCallion plays part in Switzerland’s World Cup qualifying campaign

The Shantallow man was working with local video software company Performa Sports when the opportunity to work as video analyst with a League of Ireland club arose in 2015. That club just so happened to be his hometown team Derry City and McCallion has been analysing performances for the Brandywell club ever since.

A lifelong football fan, McCallion reveals it was under current Northern Ireland Women’s manager Kenny Shiels that his role with the Candy Stripes really started to take off .

“It’s a funny story,” explains 43-year-old McCallion, recalling how he came to become involved in professional football. “I was on a course with a software company Performa Sports, who contacted me to ask would I be interested in doing some work for a League of Ireland club? It was pure coincidence that the club happened to be Derry City.

“At the time, Peter Hutton was manager. I worked with Peter and Paul Hegarty at the start but it really took off when Kenny Shiels took over.

“At the start it was just video analysis. With it being such a new discipline, it was a learning curve because it had never really been done over here. However, once Kenny came in we introduced the GPS and analysis and it has being growing ever since. Almost every year we are increasing the new aspects into the club.”

McCallion’s role is likely to evolve once again in 2022 with Conor Loughrey having been appointed Opposition Analyst, easing some of McCallion’s workload. The respite, however, may only be temporary as the club are expanding McCallion’s remit to include the Academy this season.

“Way back in 2015 the use of GPS wasn’t a big thing in Ireland,” adds McCallion, “In fact when I was working with Australian company SPT they hadn’t even sold it to the UK or Ireland. I think Shane Keegan was using a few GPS units at Wexford but apart from that it was non-existent. We introduced it at Derry and since then we have created and grown the whole analysis department at the club.

“My job this year will slightly change as Conor (Loughrey) is going to be doing a lot of the opposition stuff. That takes a bit off me, which is good, but then on the other end I’m going to be focusing more on our own games and our own player development.

“I’ll also be keeping an eye on our younger players, monitoring their development and what’s going on with them. We’ll also see how the loan players are developing while they are away.”

McCallion says current Derry manager Ruaidhri Higgins is keen to tap into the wealth of player data being provided and, like his players, the Limavady man wants his coaching staff to continue to improve.

“If you stand still someone will just pass you by, you have to keep improving every year and Ruaidhri has been fantastic and very pro-active with all that. He wants to bring in new ideas, encourage new methods and improve the process all the time which is great,” he insisted. “It’s the same as with players, you have to develop all the time. As staff we have to develop as well.

“We have introduced a few new things this year that will hopefully help the players and staff. We are introducing video analysis to the Academy, which we had planned to do but with Covid we weren’t able to...but that’s currently being set up at the minute.

“We have a good platform, we are building on it and are hoping to expand it again in the years to come.”

As for Higgins, the Derry manager believes having as much information on his squad and opponents as possible is crucial though he doesn’t want his players to become too ‘robotic’.

“Seamus would be in charge of all the GPS stuff as well as stats,” explained Higgins, “We all work together in our meetings and preparation and then he would put the meeting together in terms of IT and stuff like that, but he has a really important role.

“Everyone on the staff has their own role and there’s no real crossover. It’s important that we keep working closely together and working hard.

“We all want to get better and improve ourselves. I think the club is moving in the right direction so it’s important that we all work closely together.

“I do, without doubt, believe in all the stats and data provided to me but I also believe in what you see out of your own two eyes.

“A lot of people will probably disagree with me on this but it’s just my belief that your eyes can tell you a lot.

“It’s also important that we don’t become too robotic and overly scientific. As much as I do take in the information, ultimately, I don’t think your eyes lie either.”

Having worked with companies like KangaTech - who themselves have worked with such clubs as Southampton, Norwich City, LA Galaxy, New York Red Bulls and 2018 NBA champions Golden State Warriors - McCallion has expanded his duties and, as with his Derry City opportunity, he was once again the right man in the right place when World Cup finalists Switzerland came calling.

Just last year McCallion was contacted, via Maiden City Soccer Academy Managing Director Paul Kee, by the Swiss FA to see if he would be interested in helping with their World Cup qualifying campaign and it was a chance he couldn’t turn down.

Next month he may be joining Murat Yakin’s set-up at Wembley when they face Gareth Southgate’s England side.

“The Switzerland work randomly came through Paul Kee. He contacted Ruaidhri about seeing if I would be interested in working with them, which was great,” admits McCallion. “I did two pieces of work with them, the first being when they played Northern Ireland at Windsor Park and then the second when Switzerland played Bulgaria.

“I was again at Windsor Park watching Northern Ireland versus Italy because it may have come down to goal difference between Switzerland and Italy to see who automatically qualified for the World Cup. I was in close contact with Kevin Ehmes, who is a Match and Performance Analyst at the Swiss Football Association.

“It was a great experience working with an international team. It was good to compare where we are at compared to them.

“I know Switzerland are at a different level but the basics were exactly the same.

“Yes, they have better equipment and stuff like that because that comes with huge investment but the systems and methods were the same.

“I was also able to pick their brains. Kevin has kept in close contact with me and has actually invited me over to their friendly against England at Wembley in March. I might get a run over to that game, but we’ll wait and see.”

McCallion, who is Ballymoor FC vice-chairman, says that while he enjoys coaching at underage level he’s more than pleased with his current position at Brandywell and isn’t looking to take that step up into a ‘hands-on’ coaching role. In fact, he’s happy to remain in the stand and work away in the background.

“I’m happy where I’m at and enjoy what I’m doing. However I still do some bits and pieces of coaching with Ballymoor,” he explained. “In fact, a few of the young boys I helped coached along with the other coaches at Ballymoor over the years are now at Derry City underage teams.

"Caoimhin Porter came through Ballymoor where I, alongside the other coaches at the club, coached him. I still do bits and pieces with Ballymoor but time-wise it’s tough. My two boys, Ashton and Dawson, both play so I’m still involved with the club.

“I go to a game now and look at specific things, which is good in one sense but not good when you are trying to relax and just watch a football match on the TV or a live game.

“You are constantly analysing the game and looking for things but it’s something I enjoy doing and something I’m passionate about.

“I have been lucky enough to be a supporter of the club since I was five so to now become involved with Derry City and to have all those managers put their faith in me, it’s a privilege and I’m looking forward to the season ahead.”