Mark McChrystal relishing 'challenging' new Technical Director role at Derry City

​The former Bristol Rovers and Tranmere skipper enjoyed a stellar 20 year career at the top levels in England, Scotland and Ireland before hanging up his boots to dip his toes into football coaching.

McChrystal, now 40 years-old, has the complete set of UEFA elite coaching badges. He’s cut his coaching teeth in Derry's youth Academy and first team set-up over recent seasons but now his career has taken a side-step in another direction.

His business degree will come in handy in his new role but it's his affiliation with the club and his first hand knowledge of how it operates from grassroots level to the top which has made him the perfect man for the job!The Foyle Springs native takes over from current Glentoran assistant boss Paddy McCourt in a demanding role which has been adopted by clubs across Europe in an attempt to add more strategic and long-term thinking to their football decisions.

McChrystal’s remit involves implementing better recruitment strategies, restructuring, overseeing a new education development programme for Academy teenagers and liaising with and monitoring the club's loan players as an extension of his previous Professional Development Coach position.

However, the former centre-half also finds himself involved in discussions about the club's infrastructure plans and he's even burying his head in research to find loopholes around Brexit and its football-related implications given how it's been hampering Derry's transfer business of late.

"Every club might have a Technical Director now but it's quite a broad role," explained McChrystal who represented the club as a player across four different spells.

"I've filled a lot of roles here. Obviously I came back during my playing career to play for the club on numerous occasions. It's my hometown club. I love the club and this is another role which is something different.

"I'm basically working alongside (CEO) Sean Barrett with things in terms of bringing structures into the club. We're introducing our education programme which starts in September for example.

"There's work going on with the new stand and trying to introduce a training ground. There's a lot of stuff going on at the club."

While he places his feet firmly under the table in Derry City’s Brandywell office, the former Northern Ireland U21 international admits he would never rule out football management in the future.

However, he's relishing his new role as Technical Director and is enjoying being kept on his toes.

"I'm still in and around the coaching side of things and obviously still there as a support in any way I can. I like coaching but there's different facets to football and you never stop learning.

"This is another opportunity to learn how a football club works. I've done all the coaching badges but this is a role I'm looking forward to learning. I'm here to support anyone I can in any way I can.

"I would never rule it out (going into management) because it's something I've always looked at and thought I would do but I'm not in a rush to do anything.

"If it came up tomorrow, who knows? If these things come across your way you have to consider things but I'm keen to keep learning in every role I'm in.

"Every job I've done I've learned something different and seen things differently. Management, somewhere down the line if the opportunity comes along, I'll definitely consider it but at this moment in time I'm enjoying the job I'm doing.

"I'm learning all the time and seeing a different side of football which will only benefit me."

Derry fans were generally disappointed with the lack of transfer activity during the summer window so does McChrystal view the window as a successful one given the Candy Stripes are chasing a first league title since 1997?

"Ultimately Sean, Ruaidhri (Higgins) and Philip (O'Doherty) will liaise on that sort of stuff and you have to trust the management team in terms of what they think they need to bring in or if what they can bring in is better than what they've already got,” was his diplomatic response.

"Ultimately they will make decisions in the transfer window. So you have to trust the management on the business they've done and go with it."

So often the subject of transfers during his own playing career, how does it feel to be on the other side of the table?

"We were chatting about this the other day. As a player, transfer windows can be crazy. You could be sitting on deadline day and the window is at 11pm and you're getting phone calls at 7pm or 8pm and thinking, ‘this is crazy’ if you're waiting to move to the other side of the country.

“Now I'm on the other side. Football is a rollercoaster and players will go through all different emotions. Sometimes you'll not want to leave a club but realise you have to if you’re to develop yourself.”

Midfielder Ciaron Harkin (Coleraine), Liam Mullan (Portadown) and Sean Patton (Finn Harps) are cases in point and McChrystal believes the trio have made the right decisions in terms of their development.​

McChrystal finds himself in a key position at the club during an exciting time with Derry battling for a domestic 'double'.

He was part of the 2006 squad pipped to the league title by Shelbourne and in 2005 when they missed out on top spot on the final day to Cork.

The ex-centre half reckons the club is in a promising position both on and off the field and can't wait to see how the rest of the year plays out.

"I was a young player back then and there was a big rivalry between the two teams,” he recalled.

"It was great times and we came close a couple of times in terms of winning the league. It was goal difference and then obviously Cork in the last game of the season which was devastating.

“We're sitting second in the league and still in the cup so there's a chance to win a domestic double. So we have to keep positive and keep looking forward.

"Next Monday night is a big game but they all are. We have Shels twice between now and the end of the season and people will see those as the big ones but I think you've got to take care of your business in every game.”

The new north terrace stand is currently under construction off-site and should be installed before the start of next season but that’s just the tip of the iceberg for the off-field developments with the pitch upgrade and a training base all being explored.

"Infrastructure is massive and there's a lot of works going on behind the scenes.

"Philip and Sean have been working really hard trying to bring these infrastructures into the club. Once they're in this club will go in a different direction again.

"The way things are going in Ireland, a lot of clubs are developing off the pitch and it's getting bigger and better which is for the benefit of Irish football. So there' a lot of work going on behind the scenes.”

While McChrystal is loving the challenge of helping run his hometown football club, he admits nothing will ever compare with lacing up the boots and playing competitive football.

​"You'll never recreate the buzz you get from playing but there's highs and lows when playing.

"I've thoroughly enjoyed my career from the word go up until now and it went in a blink of an eye.

"So to any young player out there enjoy it as much as you can because before you know it it's over. Obviously you miss playing every day but you get to the point when it's not possible any more and you have to look at the next challenge.

"Now I find myself in this challenge and seeing where this takes me but the best days of your life are playing."

LISTEN: Check out Mark’s full interview on the Talking Derry City podcast here