Niall Carew has put rumours that he could be returning to his native Kildare as manager to bed by committing his future to Sligo’s footballers for the next two years.
Carew, who spent three years as selector with the Lilywhites under Kieran McGeeney before taking on the Waterford job for two seasons, brought Sligo to a Connacht final in his first campaign out west.
They shocked highly-rated Roscommon in the provincial semi-final but were blown away by Mayo in the decider.
A determined effort against Tyrone proved in vain in the end but convinced Carew that the spirit existed in the camp to take the steps required to move to the next level.
The St Kevin’s clubman had been heavily linked with a move back to Kildare, even though Jason Ryan’s future as manager remains undetermined.
It would have been a bitter pill for Sligo supporters to follow had he done so, after previous manager Pat Flanagan departed following one season to take over his native Offaly.
However, Carew is committed to finishing what he started in the Yeats County.
“I’m delighted to have come to an agreement with the county board about continuing for another two years” said Carew.
“This allows everyone to get down to the business of moving Sligo football to another level. The county board have been excellent to deal with in that regard and it is great to know that they will continue to support our efforts.
“It was great to get to a Connacht final and while that proved a very disappointing day, the lads bounced back brilliantly and showed great spirit.
“We have only started our work here. We’re one year in but we’ll be looking to kick on now. It is important that the improvement continues. We have the foundations in place so now we must build on them.”
