PLAYER INTERVIEW: Dylan Hand

Interview by Andrew Dempsey

A Premier Division league title to his name at just 20 years of age, things could certainly be a lot worse for new Town signing Dylan Hand.

Joining from League of Ireland kingpins Dundalk, Hand was left with a decision to make at the end of the season at Oriel Park.
His decision saw the Athboy, Co. Meath native join Daire Doyle’s charges eyeing is first year of regular senior football.

“It’s a lovely environment (at Longford),” Hand told LTFC.ie. “The manager and the staff are all very welcoming and they’re all very down to earth lads so I’m looking forward to the season to start.

"(I came) just to get game time and experience really. I’m at the age now where I have to get games under my belt. Obviously, last year I had a great experience with Dundalk, but I need to overlook that now and get as many games as I can under my belt this year. Yeah of course, that’s what Daire wants (to bring in the mindset from Dundalk). He brought me in because of that. The club is trying to get promoted so hopefully that does happen and it will be a great environment if we do go on and win the league."

“(The prospect of promotion) was one of the main reasons why I came to the club. Daire has brought in a lot of good players to do it and he seems like he has a plan to do it so that’s the main objective for us as players.”

The former Chesterfield youngster added; “I would’ve saw bits of Longford; I wouldn’t have seen too many games now but from what I saw it’s an exciting prospect. It’s a good team, a good club so I’m excited to get things started and see how it goes from there.”

And finally, the towering defender has called on the Longford Town support to come out in force in 2020.

“Every club need fans behind you, and the more that come the better for us. It really does help bringing you on in games so the more that come down the better. It can really bring you on in home games so the more that come to the games the better it will be.”