Hunt appointed boss of Blues Women’s Premier side
New Waterford FC Women's Premier first-team manager Gary Hunt. Photo: Waterford FC/Luke West
Gary Hunt is back at Waterford FC after he was unveiled as the first-ever Head Coach of Waterford Women’s FC ahead of them competing in the SSE Airtricity Women’s Premier Division that gets underway on March 8 away to Treaty United.
Hunt is no stranger to Waterford FC, having first joined the coaching set-up in 2019 as Head of Youth Development, where he oversaw our U13, U15,U17 & U19 men’s side, before managed the U19 side to League glory later that year.
The UEFA Pro Licence holder made the step-up to tje first-team set-up for the 2022 season as one of the first-team coaches. After a difficult start to the season, himself and David Breen took charge for six games in the First Division.
Speaking on the appointment, Gary Hunt said: “I’m delighted to be back. An opportunity came up over the last few weeks, and it's something that I wasn't hesitant at all about taking. I'm really looking forward now to getting started with the group to be taking Waterford into a new era.
“I suppose I do have a background here in the academy and the first team. I've had some brilliant successes there on the pitch, and I'm looking forward now to hopefully, carrying that over to the women's side.
“What success will look like for us over the first year, maybe might be a little bit different, but I'm really looking forward to taking this group and really setting something up for Waterford, which has been a long time coming.
“We're obviously a new entity, and what we will do is we'll give opportunities to some of the best young players that have come through our academy. Our academy has been working really well over the last couple of years.
“Last year our under 17’s finished second in the country so we have to reward those young players with opportunities, but we also want to look at maybe some of the best players around playing in the league that within the region that might be able to help those young players.
“We’re going to fight to try and get some players in that will give us an opportunity to compete with some teams in the league. Are we going to be successful in terms of the top of the league? Possibly not in year one, but what we want to be is we want to be competitive “We want to compete against teams, and hopefully we can bring some players in that help those young players to grow and in time, I think with the backing of the club and the backing of people behind us, this is going to build on to be something special.”
Hunt added: “I think there's so much tradition in history in Waterford with football and with female football as well. People have been capped by the country playing for Ireland with Ciara Grant going onto win over 100 caps and won the Champions League.
“So the amount of tradition in Waterford and the hunger for football, be it in the male game and the female game, is huge. To be fair to the club, I think a few years ago, they set out a plan to have this in place in a certain time frame, and they've hit that objective. “We’re now going to be competing on a national scale and to have the senior team here, is really important and I hope it's backed.
“We’re really looking forward to playing games in the RSC on a Saturday afternoon. I do think that the majority of people will get behind us, and I think they'll support us. It's up to us then to make sure that we put something on the pitch that that makes them want to come back that gives them something to be associated with.
“This now gives the young local players an opportunity to represent their county, to represent their region, and that will make, in turn, make young players have an aspiration to want to play for Waterford in years to come.
“As I said, it's up to us to make sure that we offer that and in time, hopefully Waterford, won’t be only thriving in the Premier Division in the men's game, but also the women’s team.
“I think it's a fantastic partnership that we’ve set up with the Hess Sports Group. I think when you look at the club as it stands at the moment, when you look at the training facilities and the playing facilities, we have to have someone like them come in and back this group. It’s going to be phenomenal.
“I think over the long term, they talk about how important education is for players. Things like this are going to be massive for players because I think in time, if a parent or a young player is looking at where it's best to play in the South-East, Waterford is going to be the prime location.”
Ahead of the season, Hunt said: “We're really looking forward to things. March 8 will be the first game we travel to Treaty United. We've got a few weeks under our belts to get ready for that, and we're looking forward to that. We’ll get players on board, and we’ll get a squad ready to compete.
“Obviously, then the following week, we host our first game here in the RSC which I think is going to be a fantastic occasion. But hopefully, we can just make it an occasion that we're going to be competitive on the pitch as well.
“And as I said, in time, we'll try and fill the RSC and we'll try and get a good buzz about the place that people want to come and watch us and want to get behind us.”
