Five footballers ripping it up for club and set to burst onto county scene

Niall McIntyre

Time for these boys to sing.

Whether the GAA like it or not, county panels will be meeting up again around this time of the year.

Fresh in the manager’s mind will be a season of club football and here are the boys who’ve done more than enough to earn themselves a chance during the League in January.

Should they get their chance, we’re backing them to take it.

Tony Brosnan (Kerry)

They’re already dreaming of a full forward line of Clifford, Geaney and Brosnan down in Kerry.

Ever since he replaced Gooch to hit 1-11 from play against An Gaeltacht in the Kerry championship, Kingdom folk have been chomping at the bit to see more of him.

He’s kept hitting the high notes since then and he’s now a key part of that Crokes team in hot pursuit of more glory. Pacy, strong and extremely skilful, the former Kerry minor is finally fulfilling the potential that they always knew he had.

Is he good enough for a Kerry championship team? A run in the league will tell.

Stephen Smith (Dublin)

The Skerries schemer took Jonny Cooper and Na Fianna for 1-7 and he took the Underdogs to the cleaners and back.

Sells dummies like they’re going out of fashion and kicks spectacular points off the right and off the left. The north county man may be small in stature, but he’s big in heart and audacity.

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This Sigerson campaign with DCU will tell more, but for now, the 21-year-old looks the real deal.

Ryan O’Donoghue (Mayo)

A former Sligo Rovers soccer star and a former All-Ireland under-12 boxing champion, for now, Ryan O’Donoghue is a Belmullet footballer.

And he’s one of their best too. It says a lot about the man that at 20 years of age, he’s already his club’s captain. He led by example this year, firing the club to their first Mayo intermediate championship win in 44 years.

That came after he lorded it for the Mayo under-20s last year. A powerful corner forward, he could be the player Mayo have needed for so long.

Gary McFadden (Donegal)

Tell the Gaoth Dobhair corner back to do a job and he will come back to you with a victim for a corner forward.

The best man-marker in the north west has picked up Gaoth Dobhair’s opponents’ danger men in every round of the Donegal championship and the first round in Ulster and he’s only conceded one point from play.

A former Donegal under-21, Declan Bonner needs to take a look at the Gaeltacht man for the county’s senior team.

He’ll shore up that defence and he’ll make opposition forwards earn absolutely everything they get.

Rian O’Neill (Armagh)

A nephew of the great Oisín McConville, Crossmaglen’s O’Neill was tipped for stardom from a very, very young age.

He’s 21 now and he’s taking on the Cross mantle. The centre forward impressed all the way through the Armagh championship this year and he was irresistible in the Ulster quarter final last weekend, hitting five from play in a low-scoring game.