After completing his first year coaching under Declan Bonner in Donegal, Stephen Rochford insists that he has no designs on a return to inter-county management for the time being.
Although it is difficult to qualify the extent of Stephen Rochford's involvement in Donegal, brief snippets of information from within the camp have suggested that his arrival has been a welcome one.
"He has an encyclopedic knowledge of the game, and we're delighted to have him," revealed Donegal's Michael Murphy in an interview with Off the Ball, "he's been brilliant so far and brought a really fresh outlook."
On the back of their convincing success in the Ulster Championship, the Super 8s series saw Donegal dispatch with Meath, claim an impressive draw with Kerry and ultimately come undone against a revitalised Mayo.
Reflecting on the year in its entirety, Rochford admits that little has been confirmed regarding the year to come.
One certainty, however, is that the man who led Mayo to successive All-Ireland finals has no intention of returning to inter-county management just yet.
"I wouldn't see myself going back into a manager role again," admitted Rochford on Friday's OTB AM, "in the short-term there are more things that I want to figure out in my understanding of what needs to be brought to a full set-up.
"I've coached at third-level, club and underage level, and it is something that I've really enjoyed. So, when the opportunity arose with Donegal, it was something that I wanted to test out."
Highly regarded for his capabilities as a coach, Stephen Rochford nevertheless believes he has much to improve upon, and is looking forward to what can be achieved in 2020.
"There is loads to improve on in that sense, loads more learning for myself as a coach," he explained.
"I'm looking forward to 2020, and in Donegal we'll probably be sitting down in the next week or 10-days and reviewing the year before setting out the plans for next year.
"No decision has been fully made, but I wouldn't rule out a return to the north-west."
You can watch the interview with Stephen Rochford and Enda McGinley in its entirety here.
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