McDermott's Global Coaching Journey
McDermott won an Irish Cup during his time at Glentoran.
"To go from Belfast, to Rhode Island, to the Middle East, to Glentoran, to Qatar, to Cobh Ramblers, to Ghana and back to Rhode Island in 30 years is an interesting story and I'm glad to get the chance to share it."
Mick McDermott has experienced a diverse and extensive coaching career that has taken him around the world in various capacities.
The Belfast native is currently speaking to NI from Providence, Rhode Island, which serves as Ghana's base for the World Cup.
He is part of Carlos Queiroz's backroom staff once again and also serves as a performance co-ordinator for the Black Stars.
This marks the second World Cup McDermott has been involved in, having previously worked with Queiroz during Iran's 2018 campaign. However, this tournament holds special significance for the former Glentoran manager.
Based in Rhode Island, the 52-year-old returns to a location filled with meaningful memories that helped ignite his football journey.
"It's unbelievable, I had no idea this job was going to appear, which is common in football. I lived in Rhode Island, I played football at the university on a scholarship," he told NI's Thomas Kane.
"Karla played volleyball, that's where we met and got married, so I lived here for six years. I haven't been back in a long time, I have seen some friends out here and hoping to see more, but it's a small world."
McDermott's journey has been remarkable for a man who initially planned to pursue a teaching career before transitioning into coaching while in the United States.
"I graduated as a school teacher and was about to take a teaching job, but I took a coaching role at the University of Oregon and from there, out of the blue, through a connection, I got the offer to go to Abu Dhabi and it changed my life."
Ghana Role 'Another Brilliant Project with a Brilliant Football Nation'
McDermott has collaborated with Carlos Queiroz at Iran, Qatar, and now Ghana.
"Carlos was considering the Iran job in 2011 and my former head coach in the USL in America was Carlos' long-term goalkeeper coach. I was already in the Middle East, working in Abu Dhabi for a club team and the conversations started, I met Carlos in Doha, we talked and myself and two other staff members joined Carlos and accepted the Iran job and that was the start of it," he explained.
Although McDermott did not accompany Queiroz to Colombia or Egypt, instead managing Glentoran where he won an Irish Cup, he later followed Queiroz to Qatar and now Ghana after a stint with League of Ireland First Division side Cobh Ramblers.
"Here we are again, another brilliant project with a brilliant football nation. It's an opportunity I don't think anyone can say no to, to work with the Ghana football team and Carlos again, it's been brilliant."
Unlike many managers and coaching staff who have months to prepare for the World Cup, Queiroz and McDermott faced a compressed timeline.
Appointed in April, they did not work with their full 26-man squad until the end of May, had just one full training session before a 1-1 friendly draw against Wales on 2 June, and flew to the US the following day.
"The logistics and travel were already in place, we tweaked them a little. A big group of our players didn't arrive until 30 May and we didn't have a full training session until 31 May.
"We had two days, played Wales and flew the next day to the US. We had to submit our 26-man list before we even played Wales but the players have been brilliant to work with."
Despite the last-minute preparations, Ghana won their opening Group L game against Panama 1-0 in Toronto, thanks to a 95th-minute goal from Caleb Yirenkyi.
McDermott has praised the squad's cohesion off the pitch and their musical talents.
"When they are together as you can see from social media there is a bond and it's new to me. I've been around the Middle East, Asia, Ireland and US and have had groups with good atmospheres but this, it's hard to express it. I stand sometimes and just enjoy it.
"It was the night before we played Panama in the hotel and they have a tradition where the day before their first game after the training session they have a prayer and a song.
"The song went from the pitch and carried onto the 30 minute bus to the hotel and carried on to the hotel and once they got going they got going, it went on for an hour and a half. When you see the positive energy it gives them it's nice, my foot started tapping!"
Ghana 'Not Overawed Going to Play England'
Semenyo will look to score his first World Cup goal when Ghana face England on Tuesday.
Next, the Black Stars face one of the tournament favourites, England, in Foxborough.
While McDermott acknowledges England's strength, as evidenced by their 4-2 victory over Croatia, he views the match as a "free one" for Ghana, with less pressure following their initial win.
"They have quality players firing on all cylinders and we know it's going to be a massive challenge but it's called the World Cup for a reason. Every game is a massive challenge, the Panama game was," he added.
"We're in a good position right now. We know we have to be resilient to get through it. The key was to get through the first game and we did.
"Our boys play for big clubs and in big games. We're not overawed going to play England, the boys have belief and it depends how we show up on the day. When the curtain opens you have to dance and I think the boys are more than capable of getting a result."
A key player in Ghana's hopes to cause an upset is Manchester City winger Antoine Semenyo, who has earned 35 caps and is aiming for his first World Cup goal.
"I've not been around someone as humble as him. In terms of his football talent, [he's] probably as explosive a player I've seen to go from a jog to full tilt, he's really powerful.
"He has the ability, if he's on his game, to hurt any full-backs in the world but we have some others. We have five or six with that same pace and those are nice weapons to have."
