Eamonn Fitzmaurice is fascinated to see how Derry will evolve under new manager Mickey Harte, believing their county board have made a bold bid for experience to land a coveted All-Ireland title.
It was near-impossible to predict Derry would attempt to headhunt a manager long associated with provincial rival Tyrone.
But Harte was a shock appointment to the Oak Leaf vacancy on Monday night as he informed Louth of his desire to part ways for pastures new.
He told RTÉ Sport: "You can see the attraction from Derry's point of view. There will be five counties with All-Ireland winning managers. Three of them are going to be in Ulster which is going to make it interesting.
"There's Tyrone, Derry and Donegal and obviously Kerry and Dublin as well. Having someone in charge of the team who has been there, done that and got it over the line is a huge thing.
"Obviously within Ulster there is huge rivalry but the Derry v Tyrone one is a massive traditional rivalry. In the recent past until Derry have kind of come strong the last few years, it wasn't to the fore publicly as much as it would have been before. But Derry's rise has made it a real thing again.
"I know a lot of former Tyrone players who have played under Mickey Harte have gone to different counties all over Ulster and scattered the Tyrone gospel all over the province.
"But this is different because when their most successful manager is going to one of the most traditional rivals, it is different.
"And the fact Derry are dining at the top table as serious contenders for an Ulster Championship next year and for the All-Ireland. It changes the dynamic for sure."
Just what Harte will do with a team that has been advanced by former manager Rory Gallagher – and then Ciaran Meenagh – remains to be seen.
Often known as a pragmatic and counter-attacking coach, Harte will take over a team that had previously gone in a different direction.
An All-Ireland winning manager with his native Kerry, Fitzmaurice is intrigued to see what the veteran manager will do with the talent at his disposal.
"The thing that is going to be interesting is how Mickey Harte and Gavin Devlin fit into the way that Derry have been playing the last couple of seasons.
"I have been a big fan of how they have gone about it, in particularly their innovation with their forward play in the season gone by in how they were pushing everyone forward and playing with 14 and 15 in attack, using Odhran Lynch as an attacker. It very nearly got them to an All-Ireland final.
"I would have been looking forward to the next manager building on that. But the way that Mickey and Gavin have played in the past; that wouldn't have been in their playbook.
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"It'll be interesting to see how they merge their approach to the game and the way this group of Derry players have been developing over the last few seasons. As I said I think the attraction is that All-Ireland winning experience in Mickey Harte's past."
Derry will be tested early in the year in Division 1 – which will include a clash with Tyrone.
Potential provincial games with the Red Hand and Donegal are sure to draw huge audiences in the Ulster Championship as well if they emerge in the draw.
But the Derry-Tyrone rivalry is the one that will bring the most intrigue given developments in recent days.
Fitzmaurice concluded: "They'll certainly come across each other, it could even be a preliminary quarter-final. When the league fixtures come out it’s going to bring massive interest.
"Donegal having Jim McGuiness back will mean there are going to be a lot of box office games in Ulster next summer."
