‘The long-term goal is to be playing with Waterford’

Former Brighton midfielder Dessie Hutchinson has admitted he wants to hurl for Waterford in 2020 after impressing on his return to the small ball game. The 22-year-old powered Ballygunner to a six in a row in Waterford recently with 1-3 in their county final defeat of De La Salle.

He also struck 0-4 in the semi-final win over Dungarvan — almost two years after he lined out for Chris Hughton’s Brighton in the League Cup against Bournemouth. Hutchinson also captained the club’s U23 team though a mixture of a loan move to St Mirren falling through just months later, allied to an injury, resulted in his release in May of 2018.