Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
SAM HERO MORGAN IS AMAYSING
Tyrone keeper tipped to be a big influence on changing room after return to Swifts
RYAN MAYSE believes it was inevitable that Tyrone All-ireland hero Niall Morgan would bring a winning mentality and commanding presence to the Dungannon Swifts changing room.
Morgan, who lifted the Sam Maguire Cup last month, made a surprise appearance for the Irish League club on Friday night.
And the 30-year-old goalkeeper, who has starred for the Stangmore Park outfit in the past, made an instant impact, keeping a clean sheet in a 2-0 win over Carrick Rangers.
Morgan, who is set to resume pre-season training with Tyrone in December, was deputising for regular Swifts keeper Alex Moore who is sidelined with an injury.
“Niall has been brilliant around the club. The commanding presence he brought to the pitch was unbelievable.” said Swifts striker Mayse.
“He’s also really good in the changing room. The way he speaks to the younger players, putting an arm around shoulders and that means a lot because they look up to him.”
The contrast between performing on an All-ireland final stage and playing in front of 388 spectators in a low profile Irish League fixture between Dungannon and Carrick couldn’t be starker.
But Mayse says Morgan’s attitude shone through as Dungannon kept their first clean sheet of the league campaign. “Niall has played in front of massive crowds at Croke Park but he approached the Carrick game in the same manner,”
“He brings a fantastic attitude and he’s just a great man to have about the place. Everyone knows what he has achieved with Tyrone. He has the utmost respect of everyone in the changing room.
“It’s just fantastic to have a man of Niall’s presence and calibre at Dungannon.”
Mayse (inset), who bagged a brace in Friday’s
2-0 win over Carrick, believes Morgan might have carved out a crosschannel career if his first love hadn’t been gaelic games. The Tyrone goalkeeper was once part of the Northern Ireland under-21 squad before former Red Hands coach Mickey Harte persuaded him to throw his lot in with his county.
“If Niall wasn’t playing gaelic,
I’d say he could be playing in
England or
Scotland,” said
Mayse. “He’s a really good goalkeeper, he’s commanding and he organises his defence so well.
“If he was playing regularly in the Irish League now, I suspect he would be the best keeper here, but he could have gone further. Definitely.
“With Tyrone starting back up in December, we’ll only have him for a short time, but it’s a massive boost to have him here for the next few weeks.”