That's almost half his life ago now, but Mailey, having supported the club from the terraces for as long as he can remember with his cousins and friends from Convoy, hopes to write his own chapter of history having just been named club captain.

Manager James Gallagher saw enough in less than a year in charge of the former Institute, Hibernian and Stenhousemuir conscript to hand him the armband ahead of the new season - quite a compliment for a player still a month shy of his 22nd birthday.

"It's a big honour and a privilege for me to be named club captain," Mailey said this week. "When you look at it, people might've said that you have Jonathan Minnock there, Kevin McHugh, Michael Funston and Shaun McGowan there, but James gave me and hopefully I can do the job for the boys.

"I had a wee talk with James last week and he ran it by me and I told him that it's an honour first of all to be playing, but to be club captain of Finn Harps is even more so. Other people might look at it as a bit of a surprise, but I'm hoping to prove that James made the right choice and that I've got the right head on my shoulders.

"There's a little extra responsibility there, of course, but the way I see it, I still will play my own game and being captain fits in with that. As a centre-half, I like to talk and like to lead from the back. Everyone has their own role in the team and this is an extra one for me, but it's one I'll enjoy.

Mailey and Harps endured defeat in their opening game of the season last Saturday at Flancare Park, the home of Longford Town. Having led 1-0 through a goal from Johnny Lafferty, the Ballybofey side then conceded three times at the outset of the second half.

And although Davitt Walsh pulled one back in the latter stages, before hitting the woodwork in stoppage time, the trip to the midlands proved, in terms of points at least, a fruitless one. There was, however, still encouragement for the skipper.

"We set out our stall and we wanted three points from the game," he continued. "That was our aim. At the start things were going well but a few lapses cost us. Our heads went down a bit when we conceded the first goal and we let in two more in quick succession, which knocked us back. But we reacted well and in a positive manner and the boys can be proud of that.

"We got a goal back, threw everything at them, hit the post and just didn't get that bit of luck when we were looking for the third goal. There were, though, positives to be taken and come Friday we hope to put that right by getting three points on the board.

But with the playing fields of the First Division significantly altered as a consequence of actions off them, this season is likely to be an unpredictable one, at least until the table takes time to take shape.

And with the youthful squad of players bolstered by the signing of a few more experienced faces, there is a level of expectancy at Finn Park ahead of their first home game of the campaign against league newcomers Salthill Devon tomorrow evening.

"It's a new team and James has made a lot of good signings," Mailey added. "Of course there's McHugh and Minnock, but he's also brought back Davitt Walsh, Mattie Crossan and Tommy Bonner, while Johnny Lafferty is new to the team. Everyone showed up in pre-season and hopefully with a run of games we can show that and get the points on the table.

"It was always going to be an interesting league but even more so with Derry City and Cork. We've got the derby and all the boys are looking forward to it. Every Finn Harps player and fan should, but there are a lot of games that will be just as interesting and every game is equally important.

"It's up for grabs, whereas last year it was really only between one or two teams. Of course it was disappointing to lose the first game, but it's a marathon and not a sprint. There's going to plenty more twists and turns."