Arthur Lynch is a well-known figure in Donegal soccer circles, and is the current manager of Fanad United.
He had great success with Fanad as a player, and was one of the star names in Intermediate football in Donegal when he was at his peak.
Lynch also had spells with his native Whitestrand United, Drumkeen United, and Cranford, while there were short stints with Swilly Rovers and Milford United as well.
He went up against some quality players during his career, and has this week picked the best 11 (4-4-2) he faced.
Caolan McGettigan (Letterkenny Rovers, Killea, Milford United)
I played against a lot of good goalkeepers but Caolan always stood out as it was so hard to beat him with a shot, and he was good with the ball at his feet too. He was so consistent and just didn’t make mistakes.
Caolan McGettigan
Dermot Kelly (Quigleys Point Swifts, Letterkenny Rovers, Kildrum Tigers)
Dermot played for a few different clubs and he was one of the main men wherever he went. He was a really polished player, and it definitely wasn’t easy to get past him.
John McElroy (Cockhill Celtic)
When Cockhill started to come good, a big part of that was down to John McElroy coming back from the Irish League. He was great at organising the back four. John wasn’t overly quick but he was always there first because he was a great reader of the game.
Jonathan Minnock (Kildrum Tigers and Letterkenny Rovers)
Minno played a lot at left-back but mainly at centre-back towards the end of his career. He was a real quality player and fantastic from the dead ball as well. If Minno stood over a free-kick thirty yards from goal, you were in bother. A quiet fella, but a great defender.
James Boyle (Keadue Rovers)
I would have played against and with James since we were at schoolboys level, and he was rock solid. He was a tough defender and had a great left peg. You never got anything easy against James or Keadue.
James Boyle
Terry McColgan (Quigleys Point Swifts)
The first time I came across Terry was at Under 14 trials in Ballyare, and I remember just thinking this boy is savage. He would go on to be part of that successful QPS team, and his workrate was unreal. He also had a low centre of gravity so he was hard to stop. Terry gave us all kinds of problems down through the years.
Paddy Sheridan (Rathmullan Celtic)
The Whitestrand – Rathmullan rivalry was intense when I was growing up, and Paddy Sheridan was always a man we had to stop. We played together for a brief period, and he was great at holding that number six position. He probably had a bad run with injuries and struggled with his back at times, but when he was available for Rathmullan, he made a huge difference.
Paddy Sheridan.
Brendan Devenney (Kildrum Tigers)
There were a couple of years when we had big battles with Kildrum, and I always seemed to be up against Devenney. He could play in midfield or up front, and he was a class player. He had a great first touch and pace, and he was very strong on the ball as well. He was quality.
Gerry Gill (Cockhill Celtic)
Gerry Gill was a key part of the Cockhill’s success over the last decade. He was brilliant on his left foot and his right foot, and if there was a corner or a free-kick, you didn’t know how to defend it because you didn’t know which foot he would use. There were no airs or graces about him, he got on with the game and always put in a shift for Cockhill.
Gerry Gill, Cockhill Celtic.
Timmy Burke (Kilmacrennan Celtic)
I probably didn’t play against Timmy a huge amount but he always stood out from when he was a youth player. His ability was second to none, and truth be told, he could have played at a higher level if he had wanted to. He was as skilful as any player as I came across and strong as an ox as well. He could play anywhere on the pitch.
Michael McHugh (Swilly Rovers)
I never saw Michael hit a shot with his laces – he always side-footed it into the bottom corner. All he needed was half a chance and he had everything you would want in a striker. He was quick and sharp and good in the air. He had played over with Bradford when he was younger but he didn’t let that go to his head. He had a great attitude and was the best player in the Ulster Senior League when he was forty.
Receive quality journalism wherever you are, on any device. Keep up to date from the comfort of your own home with a digital subscription.
Any time | Any place | Anywhere
SUBSCRIBE TO CURRENT EDITION TODAY
and get access to our archive editions dating back to 2007(CLICK ON THE TITLE BELOW TO SUBSCRIBE)