Kevin McStay: Everybody should strap in and come for the spin

"I've done interviews in my time for promotion in the military and this one was right up there with it."

Having come through the rigorous job interview for the Mayo manager role, there is no resting on his laurels for Kevin McStay as he begins the process of marshalling the troops and preparing for combat at the start of his four-year term in charge of his native county.

"The few weeks since then have been very busy with a big workload," the former All Star told the RTÉ GAA Podcast of the settling in process since switching from Sunday Game punditry back into the garb of bainisteoir to sate the unique "lure" of managing his own county at senior level.

"But it's been very nice. I've been down in Mayo a lot. I've been at the matches, meeting a lot of people as well and it's been very pleasant. The lovely thing about the early appointment, I've the guts of 4-5 months for planning before the first ball is thrown in at the end of January so we should be able to get a very good pre-season."

The Mayo manager role has been viewed as a position McStay has long coveted and while he acknowledges how emotional it has been to gain the honour of taking it on, he says it's a lot more than a simple personal goal.

"There was a sense that I was chasing this job all my life or something and that there was something personal about it or a box I wanted to tick and it's not really that," said the former Roscommon boss.

"I didn't want this for 'Kevin McStay'. I felt I had something to offer Mayo because of my experiential life, if you like, and the things I've gone through - good, bad, indifferent, highs, lows and all that - you have to have that belief that you can contribute and make a contribution and I really did feel I'm in a space where I've a