McGrath pays tribute to gaffer after winning young player

JAMIE McGrath paid tribute to his manager Stephen Kenny after being named PFAI Young Player of the Year on Saturday night.

The 21-year-old saw off competition from Dylan Watts and Daniel Kelly to become just the fifth Dundalk player to win the award, following in the footsteps of Daryl Horgan (2014), Richie Towell (2013), Richie Purdy (1993) and Tony Cousins (1990).

It capped a fine year for the Athboy man, who won the league and cup for the first time as well as picked up his first caps for the Republic of Ireland U-21s.

‘I would have grabbed both hands off you if you had offered me all that at the start of the year,’ he laughed.

‘The only thing was letting the Cobh game slip. That’s the killer if I had to pick holes in the year but we can’t be greedy. Winning the two trophies has been unbelievable. It’s my first league and my first cup so it has been phenomenal and in the last week the celebrations have been great, especially with all the fans coming out last Monday in the Square. That was something I’ve never experienced in my life. It has just been a special year and one that I’ll never, ever forget.

‘It’s an unbelievable feeling to have won. Coming here tonight, I didn’t think I’d be in with a shout but to win it ahead of Dylan Watts and Daniel Kelly, and other good young players like Darragh Leahy and Sean McLoughlin is amazing.

‘Even to be in the top three I thought was a great achievement and then to win it tonight was just special. Gary (Rogers) kept it a good secret from me. He never gave me an inkling so it’s a bit of a shock at the minute but it’s great news.’

McGrath praised his manager for helping him to improve since his arrival from St Patrick’s Athletic at the start of the 2017 campaign.

‘I was probably a bit more off the cuff when I was younger at Pat’s. I was probably playing in a different position too as a lone striker, which was something I wasn’t used to at the time. I don’t think the gaffer sees me in that position either so coming from a bit deeper or coming off the wing suits me better.

‘Probably last year coming in was a bit tough because it’s a big dressing room and it was just after the Europa League run. Losing the likes of Daryl Horgan and Ronan Finn wasn’t easy so it took a bit of bedding in between getting used to the gym, how lads work and just how things go on day to day.

‘Towards the end of last year I thought I started to settle down pretty well and I ended up starting in the FAI Cup final which I thought was great for me personally but I think this year I took it on another level, especially in the off season when I took time in the gym to beef up a bit like the other boys had done previously. I think that was needed and luckily enough this year I’ve featured more in the 10 role and even off the wing. Playing with these lads around you makes things easier.

‘It’s great to see Mickey Duffy win the Player of the Year award. The two of us came in last year together. Mickey probably settled in quicker than I did but he has turned it on another notch this year.

‘In fairness to the gaffer at the start of this year he questioned me, Mickey and a few of the other younger lads like Sean Hoare to step up this year to fill the voids of the lads who had left. He said you’ve had a year of bedding in and this is your year to step up and I think to a certain degree we have done that and hopefully it can continue again next year.’

Now McGrath said he wants to add more goals to his game as he strives to improve even more.

‘That is something that I’ve been saying for a while now,’ he said when his goal tally was put to him.

‘It’s not my finishing because I know I’m a decent finisher but it’s just getting into areas where I can score and maybe not always trying to set someone up. I just need to break into the box more. Most of my goals this year were in the six yard box so it’s just about getting into them areas and taking a few more shots from range.

‘That’s something I’ll be working on in the off-season and seeing where I can improve.’

In the last decade many of the Young Player of the Year winners, including Niall McGinn (2008), Conor Powell (2009), Shaun Williams (2010), Enda Stevens (2011), Chris Forrester (2012), Richie Towell (2013), Daryl Horgan (2014) and Sean Maguire (2016) have gone abroad in the wake of their wins. While that’s a possible goal of McGrath’s in the long term, he says his primary aim is to continue to impress for Dundalk next season.

‘If you’re playing well here and getting in the team week in, week out here then that’s an achieve-