Derry players still have 'a love' for Rory Gallagher but ready to move on with Paddy Tally - Brendan Rogers

Brendan Rogers says Derry's senior players had no input into the choice of Mickey Harte's successor but admits that many of the squad have "a love" for former manager Rory Gallagher.

Gallagher was Derry manager for just over four years - ending a 24-year wait for the Ulster SFC in 2022 - before stepping down in May 2023 following serious allegations regarding his private life.

In a social media post, Gallagher's former wife Nicola claimed she had been the victim of domestic violence over a period of years during their marriage. Gallagher stated that any allegations against him had been investigated and no charges were brought.

The Fermanagh man had been hotly tipped for a return to the Oak Leafers after Harte stepped away in July, but the Derry county board ruled that out in late September, before eventually appointing Paddy Tally last week.

"Everybody's curious as to what goes on but in terms of selecting, or saying that we want a manager, you don’t have that power as a player," Rogers, who said he hasn't stayed in touch with Gallagher, told RTÉ Sport.

"You’re just trying to explain the environment you’re looking for and trying to get better and they [the county board] get the understanding and they’ll go about seeking the guys that are the right fit for us. They do speak to us a lot but no, we’re not sitting around a boardroom.

"It's not wrong to say that a lot of players would have an affection to how Rory Gallagher coached us and ultimately he did get us all our senior success. There’s a love for how he treated the players and they got on very well with him so I would imagine that’s where the speculation came from.

"There were a lot of 'apparentlys’ and ‘supposedlys’ and ‘heard from a good source’ type conversations but,