Derry City FC: Mullen not interested in 'super sub' role
Danny intends to prove himself worthy of a regular starting place under Tiernan Lynch
Danny Mullen is done with being a ‘super sub’ and intends to prove himself worthy of a regular starting place under Tiernan Lynch.
The striker will have to be patient though as he sits out the first few weeks of the season due to an injury picked up at the Sligo Showgrounds in pre-season. The injury is not as bad as first feared however, so when he does return, he will be ready to hit the ground running under his new boss.
Mullen was Derry City’s most used substitute last season, coming off the bench 21 times in all competitions. Despite that, he still managed to hit double figures, scoring 10 goals in all, a number only bettered by Pat Hoban.
Having signed a brand-new contract at the club at the end of last season, Mullen is looking to the future and he feels he can do even better with more minutes in 2025.
“As a striker you want to get into double figures, and thankfully I got to do that,” he said. “The minutes I got last season were limited to a certain extent so hopefully this season I can get more minutes and get more goals.”
“I need to work hard in training to get a chance. It’s a good squad with quality throughout it so there will be real competition for places and that’s just going to benefit the squad.”
“Throughout my career I’ve had lots of different managers and it’s just one of those things which happens in football.
“The new manager comes in and obviously you want to impress him and show him what you can do. Unfortunately for me I got injured in one of the games, but up until then I felt I did pretty well.
“It’s all down to the manger and what he believes in so you just have to prove yourself every day and that’s the same for everybody.”
It’s a whole new chapter for Mullen and his Derry City team mates who came so close to completing a league and cup double in 2024, only to fall away in the final few weeks.
A new season provides everyone with a new opportunity.
“It was a poor finish last season and it was disappointing so obviously we want to do better this year,” Mullen agreed. “With the new manager in things are looking good and we’re well prepared.
“We have a good pre-season under our belts, and my family is all settled now. I was delighted to sign the contract extension so I’m looking forward to it now.”
“The quality of the squad is there. You saw in the pre-season games as well that there were lots of goals, so hopefully we can continue that form and take that into the season.”
Lynch is a highly-decorated manager already given his achievements in the Irish League with Larne, going from the Championship to the Premier Division title and European football in the matter of a few seasons. Having a boss with such pedigree is intriguing for the players and Mullen admits the new manager has already made his mark.
“Tiernan has obviously got high standards and he’s been unbelievable since he’s been in and he’s pushed the boys to the limits,” he explained.
“That’s what we’re going to need, we’re going to need everybody in the squad. He’s got the way he wants to play and we’re working on it each day and trying to perfect it.
“It’s not going to happen overnight, but we’ve had a good pre-season and we’re getting to know his plans and what he wants from us.”