Kevin Deery aiming high on his return to Institute

Kevin Deery is determined to transform Institute into title challengers as he returns to the club for a second spell as manager.

The club announced that Deery would resume the role towards the end of last week and already the former Derry City midfielder is outing plans in place to ensure a more progressive season for the club.

The removal of Warrenpoint’s NIFL License ensured that ‘Stute would not feature in a relegation play-off, but their senior status was under genuine threat beforehand after a run of just two wins in 21 left them second bottom of the Lough 41 Championship.

Deery's two seasons with the Drumahoe club back in 2016 and 2017 saw them narrowly miss out on promotion to the Danske Bank Premiership twice, losing to Ballinamallard and Carrick Rangers in a playoff. However, 'Stute did win the Intermediate Cup beating Ards in the final at Windsor Park in his first season in charge.

“I have really fond memories of the last time I was here, and that’s why I expressed an interest again and at down and had a thorough interview and a good chat with them,” he explained.

“There are good people at the club, and they have sort of lost their way over the last few years, for whatever reason, be it covid, or different management styles and going down different roads, and not going with home grown, young, youthful players that want to use it as a platform and push on.

“I think that’s been a big problem and that’s where I intend to get them again, by bringing in a young Ciaron Harkin, Shane McGinty, Dean Curry, Stevie O’Donnell, Aaron Jarvis; there have been a lot of players who have gone on and made good names in the Irish Premiership or the League of Ireland, and that’s where we have to go again.”

Deery left the club at the end of the 2016/17 season to become assistant to Gerard Lyttle at Sligo Rovers. But he has since wondered if he should have stayed to continue the good work he had started.

“In hindsight I did say that,” he admitted. “There were two play-off defeats and it was a long time ago and I was a young man; I think I was only 31. I took it very personally and me being a winner, it hurt me badly. But on reflection I probably should have just taken a step back and said that we were doing quite well, and we were punching above our weight and we nearly got to the Premiership a few times.”

Alongside Deery will be his number two Mo Mahon, who has been an Academy coach at Derry City for five years.

“I’ve known him my whole life,” Deery said. “He’s done brilliant work at Derry and he’s great with young adults. He has totally transformed his life from 17 or 18 years ago as well and he’s open and honest with that. He never stops thinking about football and he always wants to learn.

“I have watched quite a few of his sessions and he’s good on the pitch. It was a no brainer for me. I want someone who’s going to challenge me as well. You need that to have a healthy relationship, and I think he will be perfect for me. He’s a good, deep thinker and he’s also great with young adults.”

Rebuilding

Deery’s first job is to assemble a squad capable of climbing the Championship table, a challenging prospect given the limited budget at the club.

“I want to try and build a young, hungry team who really want to use Institute as a platform because for years it has always been,” he explained. “I’m sure they won’t mind me saying that. They have always moved players on to bigger and better things and that’s a remit we have got to get back to. We also have to protect the club in getting the players on the right, proper contracts so the club can get what the player is worth.”

With the new season set to start in August there is no waiting about for Deery, who feels he is much more mature coming into the role as manager for a second time.

“I’m calmer but I still want my players driven on the pitch and if they come with that mentality and that personality and they want to be more or less semi-professional footballers, that’s what we want,” he stated. “If you’re happy to sit at Institute struggling at the bottom of the division, it will probably be a handshake and then we’ll look for different personnel and that’s as simple as that because we have to try and get them back to the top.

“Ultimately, you’re judged on what you leave behind, and I left Institute in a really good place when I left. That was the conversation we had this time around. For me now coming in, that’s what I have to do again. I have to get them up around the top end of the Championship, competitive and pushing to get into the Premiership and that’s my only goal to try and get there.”