‘Don’t let them change you’ – the advice inspiring Mick McDermott as he leads Glentoran’s resurgence

Appointed Glens manager at the end of March last year, McDermott replaced former long-serving Oval defender Gary Smyth and his assistant Paul Leeman, who captained the side as a player.

Having previously worked as Carlos Queiroz’s assistant with Iran, the 45-year-old is also part of the consortium, headed by British-Iranian businessman Ali Shams Mohammad Pour, which completed its takeover of the club four months after he became manager.

One of McDermott’s first moves was to bring in Paul Millar, another former Glens player, as his number two and he is categoric in his assessment of Millar’s importance to the overall set-up.

“There are three main factors behind us doing well – good players, good organisation and Paul Millar,” he observed.

“You can’t do anything in football without good players and we have a great group of players who we have got well organised. They know what their jobs are and that gives them belief.

“Paul Millar’s ability in dealing with players, in player recruitment and in man-management has been a massive asset to me and to the project in general.

“He has been a player, manager, scout, coach and also runs his own business. He can speak to people from any walk of life and he is direct. He tells the players the truth and he tells me the truth, and that is important.”