After four months of searches, speculation and rejections, the wait has finally come to an end, and Paddy Tally will become the new Derry manager.
The Tyrone native is set to be appointed this Thursday and will officially replace Mickey Harte and it is reported that his backroom team will be made up of Paul McIver, Enda Muldoon and potentially Ryan McMenamin.
Since Harte stepped away there had been a long list of candidates that did not work out for one reason or another, including James Horan, Peter Keane, Rory Gallagher, Mark Dornan, and Karl Lacey.
However, it appears that they finally have their man, as the Galbally native is set to leave his position as Kerry's Performance Coach and make the move back into inter-county management.
READ ALSO: Joe Brolly Is Unsurprisingly Vexed As Another Tyrone Manager Is Linked With Derry Job
READ ALSO: "Your Confidence Goes" - Damien Comer Opens Up On 2024 Injury Nightmare
Tally wasn't the only one being considered though, as The Irish News reported that Dublin legend Philly McMahon was also a name being floated around.
The eight-time All-Ireland winner retired from inter-county football in 2021, and has since made the move into punditry, working with the BBC.
The Ballymun man has spoken before about his desire to get into coaching, and the Derry job is one of the biggest there is in Gaelic football right now.
Despite this, Derry look like they have chosen Tally as the man to lead the Oakleafers into the 2025 season and he has a big challenge on his hands.
The Ulster side currently have a golden generation of players as they boast a team that has won more in the last three years than any Derry side has in the past three decades.
The underage system is incredibly successful as well with recent All-Ireland wins at minor and u20 level, meaning that talented youngsters are breaking through, and the squad is in a very healthy place.
However, the team's capitulation last season after the league shows that not everything is rosey in the garden, and with all of the negative press surrounding the side throughout the summer, Tally needs to bring back the feel good factor.
