Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
MAXIE SWAIN
ROBBIE MCDAID says he’s determined to make his mark at Glentoran after instantly hitting it off with the Oval faithful.
The 20-year-old striker could hardly have made a better first impression in fairness, coming off the bench on his debut last month at former club Glenavon to turn a 1-0 deficit on its head with a quickfire brace – only for the Lurgan Blues to deny the visitors with a 87th minute equaliser.
It was a tantalising glimpse of what could be in store for the Mersey Street men, with his poacher’s goal against Warrenpoint seven days later suggesting Gary Haveron might just have found the perfect foil for star striker Curtis Allen.
Like many young players who chase the dream on the British mainland, Mcdaid’s life as a footballer so far has been punctuated by interruptions, loan spells and frustrating stints on the bench.
So the Glentoran new boy admits it’s refreshing to feel the matchday buzz on a Saturday again, not to mention the adrenaline of scoring and the adoration of fans when you send them home happy.
“Personally, it’s going really well, I’m enjoying it and I’m playing well, and it was nice to get a few early goals and get the ball rolling,” said Mcdaid.
“I’m relaxed and enjoying my football and now it’s just down to the grindstone and working hard every week.
“The support (at the Linfield game) and from the moment I walked into the club has been absolutely brilliant. They are a demanding set of fans, but that only comes with success.”
Mcdaid’s father John played for Glentoran for four years in the 80s, coming through the ranks from the age of 16 before departing at 20, so the East Belfast club is in the blood.
He is familiar with Glentoran’s storied history, therefore, and knows that while they may have fallen on lean times recently, Glenmen will never settle for second best.
Born and bred in Omagh, St Julian’s Road was Mcdaid junior’s first port of call as a football fan, but his dad’s links to the
Oval, and his trips to the capital to follow them, means his switch over the summer was a homecoming of sorts.
“I’d far rather be at a club with fans who demand so much and are ambitious than a club which is happy to sit in mid-table or just survive or just get by,” said Mcdaid, capped at under-17, 19 and 21 level by Northern Ireland.
“I always knew Glentoran were a big club but since I’ve been there, I’ve realised how much bigger it really is.”
Mcdaid admits it was never his intention to relinquish full-time football, but after finding opportunities thin on the ground over in England – he joined Leeds United aged 16 before moving to York City last year following a loan spell at Lincoln – he decided to cut his losses and head home.
“If I’m honest, I didn’t really want to come home from England, but whenever I took all my options into account, only 20 years of age, I’ve still got a it’s becoming long, long time to progress and develop so hopefully somewhere so, so difficult down the line I can get another crack for young at it but for the time being all I want lads to get a to do is help Glentoran.” chance in full-time senior football in Certainly the Irish League has been England,” he said. a fertile hunting ground for clubs “And that’s one thing about the across the water in search of a bargain, League of Ireland and the Irish with Linfield’s Paul Smyth the League, managers give young lads a latest in a long line of players, particularly crack, and not just two or three forwards, to make a breakthrough games, you’ll get the best part of 10 into the professional ranks. games to prove yourself. Unfortunately Mcdaid’s team-mate Allen was in England, it’s so cut-throat. signed by Inverness, of course, while “But I thought to myself if I come the likes of Stuarty Dallas, Joe home, I can do the business and get Gormley, Rory Donnelly, Liam Boyce my name in the papers again. I’m still and Jordan Stewart have all made the step up from the Premiership, with varying degrees of success.
“Obviously my playing partner did it himself,” added Mcdaid.
“Curtis came over from Bournemouth and he got away to Inverness again, but unfortunately with injuries he came back.
“There seems to be more and more players coming home, and actually getting away again, because you are coming home and you are given a chance, you are playing football every week and I don’t care what anybody says, even though it’s full-time training, if you are not playing week in, week out, then you are not developing. The media exposure around the Irish League now is top class too, and the standard of the league is so much better than people might think.
“And for me personally, now it’s about scoring as many goals as I can for Glentoran and playing every week and getting back to enjoying my football.”
Into his first full season after his appointment towards the end of last September, Gary Haveron (circled) has slowly but surely been revamping his