Prodigies and monsters: Top young footballers to watch in 2022

One year ends and another one begins, which brings the promise of a youngster coming along and changing hurling or football, or at least the fortunes of his county. Here, we take a look at who might emerge in 2022

Mon, 03 Jan, 2022 - 06:00

Declan Bogue

DYLAN CASEY (Kerry)

While incoming manager Jack O’Connor will be keenly aware that calls for Kerry to tighten up their full-back line is an annual command, he will have liked what he seen this season from Dylan Casey.

Captain of his club at 21, getting the nod ahead of seasoned campaigners in Kieran Donaghy and county panelist Joseph O’Connor, Casey drew huge admiration from Donaghy in the way he drove standards all the way to Stacks’ Kerry title.

Having marked David Clifford and Sean O’Shea in the club Championships, he has the look of a man who could go straight into the Kingdom’s line-up in a critical position.

PATRICK LYNCH (Cavan)

Was on Mickey Graham’s Cavan panel in 2021 but didn’t get to show just what he has to offer yet.

A year spent filling out has done him the world of good however. The young full-forward scored a whopping 2-10 for his club Crosserlough in their senior Championship defeat to eventual finalists Gowna. The year before he was a key figure as Crosslerlough ended 48 years without a Cavan title in beating Kingscourt Stars.

21 years of age now, he is coming off a couple of years where he has shown his quality in county underage ranks. In 2019, he memorably hit 0-9 against Monaghan in the U20 quarter-final. He’s good to go now.

LEE GANNON (Dublin)

A star of the Dublin U20 hurling team that made the All-Ireland final, he also kicked 0-3 from midfield in Dublin’s U20 All-Ireland final defeat to Galway.

Tough and athletic, he is likely to make Dessie Farrell’s team in the wing half back or forward lines and could be said to be comparable to John Small.

The Whitehall Colmcilles man required the blessing of Farrell to go in with the hurlers this year, but with Dublin badly stuck for defenders, with recent retirements of Cian O’Sullivan and Philly McMahon, he could go straight in for the O’Byrne Cup and National League.

CORMAC EGAN (Offaly)

The star of the somewhat unexpected U20 title for Offaly in 2021, and known by his distinctive mullet, Egan tortured Dublin in the Leinster final with his unceasing running.

Already a physical specimen, he arrives fully formed into John Maughan’s senior set up having been left to develop with contemporaries his own age.

Studying economics and finance in UCD, he suffered a little after that U20 win with some over-use leaving his Tullamore manager Niall Stack to question his heavy workload around that time.

RUAIRI CANAVAN (Tyrone)

Too young? Well, his brother Darragh was only 18 when he first featured for Tyrone and their father Peter was the same age when he was invited along to play for Tyrone in a Toronto Irish Festival for St Patrick’s Day in 1989.

And while there could be calls to keep him with Paul Devlin’s U20 squad, his form in the Tyrone Championship was just, well, sensational.

Coming off the bench against Clonoe in the second half, he still finished up with 0-5 to his name. He has all the family traits — well-balanced, elusive, and great vision, but he is already a bit more durable than the others to share the name.

JAMES McLOUGHLIN (Galway)

2022 might be slightly too soon for McLoughlin to come through, but the Moycullen youngster can become the player that Paraic Joyce builds his team around if he stays long enough.

In assessing Moycullen earlier this year, no less than Ray Silke noted, ‘Then keep an eye out for this guy, James McLoughlin. He’s six foot four, he was midfield for Galway minors and U20s. He’s only 18 in December, but he’s an absolute monster.’

SAM CALLINAN (Mayo)

James Horan’s side probably does not require any more athletic wing-backs, but the addition of Sam Callinan to his panel for 2022 could lead to positional changes.

Just over two months from their All-Ireland defeat, Horan held a series of trials at the Connacht Centre of Excellence in Bekan. It was an intense ‘Combine’ where players were physically tested, underwent skills assessments, and tactical sessions before playing a full indoor game, with none of the 34 having played for Mayo before.

Being from Ballina, other sports have grabbed his attention and he was part of a Connacht U16 team that featured no fewer than five Ballina players.

Having also competed in youth athletics, will be one to keep an eye out for.