VAL Daly turns 34 today and for his birthday he's been handed the top job in Galway football. As a present, it is slightly more original than the standard pair of socks - but whether it lasts as long remains to be seen.

Daly is part of what may well be a new movement in Gaelic games towards young, thirty something managers. He was a classmate of John Maughan's in Carmelite College, Moate, and is a contemporary of Larry Tompkins, the new man in Cork.

It's a charismatic triumvirate, Tompkins and Daly - like Maughan bringing the sort of credibility to a dressing room that comes with having been among the best of their generation.

Daly first played for Galway back in 1981 and would have played for them again this year but for a dislocated shoulder sustained before the championship.

Sixteen seasons, therefore - almost half his life. They have taken him through some of the most demoralising years in recent Galway history, through to the brave new possibilities discovered under Bosco McDermott last year.

He has won six Connacht titles in that time and two All-Stars (1987 and 1990). He hasn't ruled out playing again next season, though probably not this side of Christmas.

"I haven't decided yet, I'll see how it goes. Getting out of division three will be our first requirement" he explained.

Whatever his decision about playing, Daly's, relationship with the players will be irrevocably changed. He doesn't envisage any problems in making the transition, however.

The Galway team has a younger average age now, most of them are around 23 or 24 whereas I'm 10 years older so there would be a natural gap, there. I don't have a problem with it and I hope the players won't either. There will be a code of discipline, same as in any county, and if players step outside it they won't be picked, simple as that, he added.

Daly is certainly not shouting from the rooftops about Galway's potential: "There is some potential there but we're no better or worse than a lot of counties. Our under-21s were unlucky to be beaten by Kerry this year so there is talent." . Tyrone's new senior team manager is Danny Ball. His selectors are Francis Martin and Anthony Gallagher, both of whom collaborated with Ball when he guided the county to two All-Ireland under-21 titles in 1991 and 1992.