All of a sudden, this transition that Donegal were supposed to be in already seems to have been completed.
All of a sudden, the team doesn’t look like a crowd of youngsters or even a county that’s been gutted by retirements. It looks like a side ready to mix it with any of them.
They have a spine of some of the best and most experienced players in the country.
Neil McGee, one of the most fearsome number threes in the land. Frank McGlynn, one of the most terrifying half backs of all time. Michael Murphy, Jesus. Ryan McHugh is set to become a perennial footballer of the year contender. And Paddy McBrearty is looking bigger and more imposing with each passing year.
Now you add the sprinkle of youth that has infested the squad with fearless menace. Hugh McFadden, Eoin McHugh, Caolan Ward – these lads haven’t just slotted in seamlessly, they’re bringing the thing on.
Then you have Ciaran Thompson. A midfielder who has kicked nine points from play in his last three outings. A man who doesn’t seem to realise or care about the magnitude of what he is doing.
If you see Ciaran Thompson winding up his left foot, you’re already too late.
The Glenties man missed most of last year after picking up an injury in the national league and he was a serious loss to his county’s seniors and under-21s.
But he’s back and he’s transformed even from the sensational talent he once was as a teenager. Now, he’s a man.
Brendan Devenney knows a thing or two about shooting boots and what he is seeing from young Thompson is like nothing he has before.
The legendary Donegal attacker was on the latest GAA Hour football show to discuss his county’s rise and he went for it with his praise of the new hero in Ballybofey.
“I’ve never seen a better left foot in all my life,” Devenney said on the podcast.
“You’re on about hitting from distance or breaking through lines, Donegal suddenly have all these players coming at pace. Michael Murphy is still the general in the middle, Frank McGlynn is flying – he has a new lease of life – and even Hugh McFadden up full forward as the target man.”
The best left foot he’s ever seen? Ever?
“I’m saying he’s getting there,” the Letterkenny man continued.
“Honestly, I’m struggling. There are some sweet lefts and good left foots tend to be the sweetest of the lot but what I’ve seen of him in the league already, he’s popped over scores that you might hit every three or four games – and he’s done it in every match.
“He hit five points against Cavan and then hit three points [against Tyrone], two from the right hand side from distance and then his third point with the outside of the boot is one of them champagne scores. It just seems to come so naturally to him and that’s the hallmark of a great player.
“I don’t want to be heaping any pressure on the lad but he’s got it all.”
Thompson is a fine player and he’s only going to get better. That’s scary. But the best left foot ever?
@ConanDoherty @Woolberto @brendandevenney Podcast should come with a health warning lads. Nearly choked on my coffee there. pic.twitter.com/RV2dIMnQPO
— Brian Murphy (@BrianMurfie) March 21, 2017
Well, it doesn’t seem to faze him because he went out and did the exact same thing against Monaghan too, floating an outrageous effort from the left hand side from beyond the 45′. He only finished the day with one score though. His standards are slipping…
Listen to all of Devenney’s thoughts on Donegal’s team below (from 47:20).
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