Niall Morgan admires Kerry's Shane Ryan's 'calmness' at all times

Niall Morgan credits all four netminders left in the All-Ireland SFC but Ryan is the one he has looked to for inspiration.

INSPIRATION: Niall Morgan leads the race for the All-Star goalkeeper’s spot but it’s to Kerry goalkeeper Shane Ryan that he has looked to for inspiration. Picture: Ben McShane/Sportsfile

By a few lengths, Niall Morgan leads the race for the All-Star goalkeeper’s spot but it’s to Kerry goalkeeper Shane Ryan that he has looked to for inspiration.

The Tyrone man gives credit to all four netminders left in the championship – Ryan, Connor Gleeson, Blaine Hughes and Shaun Patton – but the first man he namechecks is the one from Rathmore.

“I’ve always admired Shane Ryan for his calmness. He’s a bit like myself, he plays out for his club but nothing seems to faze him, he always seems to have the same demeanour.

“When I was young, I would have got frustrated at times but since he came in he always seems to be the same, he’s always so calm. If something goes wrong or he concedes a goal, he just gets up and gets on with it.

“It’s something I’ve learned over the last two or three years that if you start showing you’re frustrating it’s easier for the other team to get on your back.” 

Morgan’s not too shabby with the length of his kick-outs himself but the technique of Donegal No1 Shaun Patton amazes him. “From three steps to kick the ball as far as he does is scandalous but I think all four keepers who are left are have massive strengths.

“The way Armagh are getting out for their kick-outs this year, Blaine has obviously come back in for Ethan (Rafferty) and it was a massive thing for McGeeney to stick with him because everybody thought once Ethan came back, he was going to go straight in. It’s a testament to how Blaine has been playing.” 

The size of Galway’s middle third might present a challenge for Patton. It certainly did for Morgan in their All-Ireland SFC group game. “Galway are long in the kick-out but they have six foot-plus players from five to 12. When they press up, you’re thinking, ‘What do I even do with this?’ All four teams are different. Kerry will probably bunch and bench. They have so many people who want the ball and Armagh are similar to that.” 

None of the quartet are likely to involve themselves in attacks as much as Morgan who was doing it with Edendork long before his time with Tyrone and Ireland’s International Rules team.

“Obviously, when you get up to county level you don’t know whether it’s sensible or not but Mickey (Harte) and Gavin (Devlin) would have always promoted me to come out and join but it just wasn’t the done thing.

“But then Rory (Beggan) starting doing it and I started doing it and Graham Briody from Laois was doing it heavily at the time as well and it became more of an accepted thing but I do think the defensive structures of teams set up for it because you are looking for the extra man.” 

Having lost to them twice in this year’s championship, Morgan recognises the confidence surging through the Donegal team. “The belief that Jimmy McGuinness brings to them. From the minute he was appointed, Donegal were winning things again. Surely, he’s not that good!” he laughs. “It has showed that no matter what he says, they do.

“We went in at half-time in Celtic Park (Ulster quarter-final) and thought that we were pushing ahead in the game but he just seemed to finds an answer. It must be unbelievable to be in a changing room with him and I just think Donegal have bought into it.

“To him, it doesn’t matter who ye are. He’s not afraid to call you out. You can hear him shouting at different players and telling them what to do and I think that’s massively important as well.”