Michael Kerr began his playing days as a child with Enniskillen Rangers and now as the club’s player-manager he hopes to lead the ‘Gers to the biggest prize in Junior football on Monday when they take on Hill Street in the IFA Junior Cup final at Windsor Park.

His playing days saw him go from Rangers to Dungannon Youth and was followed by stints at Omagh Town, Monaghan United and a spell with Enniskillen Town that split two periods with Ballinamallard United.

He then returned to Rangers under Gordon Cutler as a player and now in his second year as player-manager of the club he is in no doubt that this Monday’s final is the biggest game of his career.

“It’s at Windsor Park, we were up there on Monday night and it is an excellent stadium, and it will be the biggest game that I have played in at any level but I’m looking forward to it,” he said.

However, while acknowledging the importance of the game, Kerr also has to wear his manager’s hat and he is keen to ensure that the players stick to the mantra of it being another game of football and don’t get caught up in the occasion.

“We will just be focusing on it being another game and concentrating on what is happening in the match. Obviously it is a cup final and you want to have the trophy at the end of it but it is 90 minutes of football, its 11 v 11 and it’s about going in and playing your normal game. You can’t start thinking about the stadium or anything like that, you have to play the game and not the occasion and I know that’s easier said than done because there is boys who are going up here who would never have played in a 20,000 seater stadium before. If we can go in though and play our game and settle early I’m very confident that we won’t be too far away come the end of the game,” he said.

This will be Rangers fifth appearance in a Junior Cup final having lost the 1975, 1989 and 2000 finals and having won the competition in 1999 when Michael’s father Dessie was the Rangers captain.

“I remember when I was 15 and my father bringing the Junior Cup into the house, it was a great occasion so if it was the case that I could go and do that as well it would be brilliant.

“I grew up playing all my youth football for Rangers and Gordy (Cutler) then brought me back when he was manager and I have really enjoyed it since. It is a privilege to be leading Rangers into a final, it is going to be a big day for the club,” he stated.

It is a club that Kerr feels is making great strides both on and off the pitch with the development at the Ball Range being mirrored by the progression on the field as the side have progressed to the Junior Cup final.

“The two pitches and the facilities are great at The Ball Range and it is coming along nicely on the pitch too. We were disappointed with our league campaign but we are seven points better off than when we finished last year so you can see the improvement. It is great to be part of it and everybody; the players, management, committee and supporters are all enjoying it which is good.”

As a player-manager Kerr relies on a strong backroom team to allow him to continue to play and there is no doubt that is a key performer on the pitch for the ‘Gers. In Donal O’Reilly, Tony Roofe and Darren Higginbotham he feels he has just that.

“When I first took over the job I asked Donal O’Reilly to come in and help me. I grew up with Donal, we were the same age group. Unfortunately his playing career was cut short but you could see when he was playing he was one of those people that you always knew had an intelligent brain in terms of football and I thought he would be the perfect man to come in with me. It hasn’t been easy for him to commit to training as he has two children but I said from the start that it was all about the Saturday when I’m playing to have somebody with that brain on the sideline.

“This year I’ve been very lucky. I approached Tony Roofe who had been out of the game for 15 years but he is a football man, he is experienced and he is knowledgeable and he is like my eyes and ears. When he speaks the boys really listen to Tony and they appreciate his input all the time. We also have Darren Higginbotham in with us. I signed him as a player but unfortunately he done his cruciate knee ligament but he has come in as a coach and the four of us bounce ideas of each other and we work really well together,” said Kerr.

And there will be plenty of discussion between the management team between now and Monday as they look to settle on the team and the squad for Monday.

“That’s the only thing giving me sleepless nights, picking the squad. The hardest thing about being a manager, even on Saturday, is leaving people out and this is massive. I can only pick 16 for the game and we have 19 or 20 to pick from, and all are fit and all raring to go. It is the most unenjoyable part of the job to have to ring a lad and tell him he hasn’t made the squad and we have 20 good players so it is tough but I took on the job and we have those decisions to make. I won’t pick anyone because of friendships, it will be on merit, who deserves to be in the squad, who can maybe change the game if they come on,” he added.

Rangers have saved their best form for the Junior Cup this season and produced superb performances against Rosemount Rec and then Newry Celtic in the semi-finals.

“We have scored a lot of goals in the Junior and the performances, bar the Lower Shankill game, have been good. We got home draws which is what you want but we have beaten what has been put in front of us and we are in the final on merit,” said Kerr.

However, the Rangers boss is aware that it is going to take another big performance if they are to get their hands on the cup on Monday afternoon.

“We know that we are coming up against a good side in Hill Street, they won their league last year and they are pushing to win it this year. They haven’t been beaten in 14 league games and have won all but two of those so we know they are good but Hill Street are up against a good side too. The preparation and the training sessions have been really good and the boys are looking sharp and are looking forward to it. It should be a good game.”

So what would victory on Monday mean to Kerr.

“To win a major trophy as a manager, it would mean the world to me, it would be a dream come true,” he concluded.