McNutt: Harps youngsters can go to senior level – if they want to

Stephen McNutt has challenged Finn Harps' young guns to step up and show they're worthy of first team spots.

The winds of change are blowing around Finn Park with a new first team manager to be announced in the coming days, following the recent departure of Ollie Horgan.

McNutt is the Harps Under-19 manager and also takes charge of the Under-21s, who came from behind twice before beating Letterkenny Rovers on Monday night with Shaunie Bradley, Sean O'Donnell and Max Johnston scoring.

O'Donnell was in with the first team squad in 2022 while Luke Rudden and Damien Duffy also made their senior bows. Adam McCaffrey, who recently sustained a nasty leg injury, was another who stepped into the senior squad.

Finn Harps U21s overcome Letterkenny Rovers thanks to late double

Finn Harps scored twice in the dying moments to defeat Letterkenny Rovers at the Community Centre on Monday night in the Ulster Senior League

“There are definitely players there, but it's up to them,” McNutt told Donegal Live.

“There are players coming through. It's a matter of whether they get a chance and then a matter of whether they develop. All we can give them is a chance.”

The Buncrana man didn't put his name into the ring for the senior vacancy and remains committed to developing seniors of the future.

He said: “If players can see a pathway to senior football, they'll want to come to Finn Harps. The pathway has to be there.

“Kevin (McHugh, Harps' Head of Academy) is doing so much good work at the academy and has some great quality coaches coming in. He is upping it all the time, with the aim of producing players for the senior team.

“We have to look at young players coming in. Derry are in a position where they can go out and buy two or three, but we have to develop our own players.

“People need to be patient, whoever gets the job and I think we have to look at north west players, not just Donegal players.”