As the Armagh players made their way off the pitch after Sunday’s heartbreaking penalty shootout defeat, they were met by Brendan Rogers who offered a consolatory handshake.
The Slaughtneil clubman was the last Derry player to leave the pitch.
Keen to soak up the atmosphere as the Oak Leafers retained the Ulster title for just the second time in their history, Rogers stressed that it wasn't that long ago when nobody spoke about Derry as All-Ireland contenders and even fewer supporters attended their games.
Read more: Kieran McGeeney makes Armagh penalty practise claim after another shootout loss
“It is very important,” said Rogers.
“I was about when Derry was unsuccessful there very recently and it is an unbelievably lonely place.
“No one is even talking about the game, but now you see kids coming about.
“I had something like 18 kids call to my door yesterday asking me about the game, how’s Derry going?
‘Will you come out and play with us in the park?’ All those kinds of things.
“That's what this is doing for kids in the area. It's getting them out. Getting them off social media. Getting them off the XBox.
"It sounds so small, but what that does in the lifestyle of the people in your county, your community, it is unreal.
“It is happy days that it gets back to the supporters who follow it - that is special.”
He added: “Doing back-to-back titles is obviously very difficult in Ulster, given the calibre of the teams in it.
“We are aware it is special, but it only happens the more we stay focused.
“It only happens if we train well, it only happens if we work hard so we have to keep our end of the bargain to get that support out all the time.
"If you start losing or getting into bad habits, it just doesn't happen, you don't get the support and we love it - we love seeing everyone out.”
Chatting with a handful of reporters away from the celebrations, Rogers joked that he was “ragin” at not being selected to take one of the penalties in the shootout.
Yet, he admits he was a nervous spectator for much of the first period of extra-time as he waited to rejoin the action following his black card at the end of normal time.
He had plunderd a goal and two points from play, but it was his foul on Jarly Óg Burns which led to Rian O’Neill’s equalising point.
In the cold light of day, Rogers knew the clinical foul had to be made and was thankful that Rory Grugan’s subsequent attempt at a mark dropped short before Derry won on penalties.
“It’s frustrating in many ways,” said Rogers.
“Maybe it was a bit of a blessing too - I tok a bit of cramp when I was coming off, so I was able to refresh myself before I came back on.
“I felt absolutely disappointed that I had let my team down and they had that shot (Grugan’s mark) to win it and it dropped short.
“It was still nervy when we were one or two points down in injury-time, but it excited me that I had the opportunity to get back and help my team mates again.
“I am not saying I was involved in an unbelievable amount of things, but just knowing that you are back to 15 men again.
“It gives you that little bit of energy. I was delighted to be back in that position.”
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