SEVENTEEN YEAR-OLD Ryan Burns was last week named in Aidan O’Rourke’s Louth panel for this weekend’s championship opener against Westmeath.
We caught up with his U21 manager David Reilly to tell us all about the youngster who scored 2-12 between the drawn and replayed games with Meath, in this year’s Leinster U21 championship.
SKILL SET
“He has a tremendous strike of a ball” explained Reilly, “and hes very sharp in and around from thirty yards out. He knows where the posts are and he can kick with both right and left.
“I managed him for the U21′s and we brought him in once his club were bet (in the Leinster Junior final), two weeks before Christmas.
“He had the element of surprise when he came on the first day against Meath for the U21′s and he did very well, he scored 2-6!”
“He doesn’t look the biggest fella, but he’s deceptively quick, especially in around goal.
“Yeah he’s not the biggest chap, he’d still be 5’10 or 5’11, but he’s still growing and he’s dangly and that. But the one thing about him is he’s brave as can be, and you’d be sure he’ll go for any ball around him.”
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Burns has the mindset to deal with the huge demands. Cathal Noonan / INPHO
Cathal Noonan / INPHO / INPHO
MINDSET
“He’d be a level headed young fella. He’s still doing the Leaving cert at the minute. He played with his club last year that won the Junior championship and he was their scoring threat all the way through.
“They were bet then in the Leinster final by the Kildare team who went on and won the All-Ireland junior.
“He was involved in the schools football, they won the senior colleges in Louth, and then they went on and had a good year winning the Leinster in Division three of the schools competition and they got to the All-Ireland final.
He was playing with the Louth minors too and he was trying to combine the both of them while he was in with us. He featured with us up until the two championship games against Meath
“The reality is that he’s a big month ahead but as I said he’s a level headed young lad and he looks after himself, and everything that’s asked of him is done.”
PRESSURE
“He’s one of these guys that doesn’t seem to be fussed about things and he takes everything in his stride. So I’ve no doubt if Louth throw him in he’ll more than cope with the situation.
“The club had a long season, the school had a long season, and then he came straight into his involvement with the county football both at minor and U21 and now all of a sudden he’s thrown into the senior.
“The reality is every coach and every manager is expecting guys to be sharp at this time of year and be peaking – but in fairness to him and the family they’ve managed it quite well so far.”
Reilly also managed Ciaran Byrne last year. INPHO / James Crombie
INPHO / James Crombie / James Crombie
THE BEST YET?
“He’s a similar type of player (to Ciaran Byrne). Ciaran at 16 or 17 wasn’t the size he is now, but again Ciaran had all the skill set. He was probably taller, but he developed his whole physique once the interest from the Australian rules came in and he was involved with the senior panel.
“He got stronger and that and that’s probably something Ryan will do over the next 18 months and buy in to the weights and that a wee bit more.”
Brian Donnelly, like Byrne was lured by the prospect of the AFL. Donall Farmer / INPHO
Donall Farmer / INPHO / INPHO
AFL AWAITS?
“I don’t know yet if there’s any interest but I’m sure there will be as the scouting system here seems to pick up every young fella that has talent for the AFL. It’s a different type of player that makes it out there though.
“Because of who he is and how he’s making waves here he’s going to attract the attention of the scouts no doubt about it, but whether the game or style of game suits him that’s another thing.”
WESTMEATH
“I’d say he’ll come in but it depends on how Louth are doing. He came on and played a challenge game there against Armagh last week and they gave him a bit of a run and he wasn’t out of his depth so it’s like anything if you’re good enough your old enough.
Louth will know what to expect against Westmeath. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
“Louth and Westmeath have a history and they’re sick of the sight of each other over the last few years, there’s nothing they don’t know about each other.
“Home advantage will give Westmetath slight favourite tags but they’re both after coming off the back of poor league campaigns so mentally it depends on which team can put the early scores on the board and kick on from there.”
All you need to know about Louth's new 17 year-old senior prospect Ryan Burns
SEVENTEEN YEAR-OLD Ryan Burns was last week named in Aidan O’Rourke’s Louth panel for this weekend’s championship opener against Westmeath.
We caught up with his U21 manager David Reilly to tell us all about the youngster who scored 2-12 between the drawn and replayed games with Meath, in this year’s Leinster U21 championship.
SKILL SET
“He has a tremendous strike of a ball” explained Reilly, “and hes very sharp in and around from thirty yards out. He knows where the posts are and he can kick with both right and left.
“I managed him for the U21′s and we brought him in once his club were bet (in the Leinster Junior final), two weeks before Christmas.
“He had the element of surprise when he came on the first day against Meath for the U21′s and he did very well, he scored 2-6!”
PHYSIQUE AND SPEED
“He doesn’t look the biggest fella, but he’s deceptively quick, especially in around goal.
“Yeah he’s not the biggest chap, he’d still be 5’10 or 5’11, but he’s still growing and he’s dangly and that. But the one thing about him is he’s brave as can be, and you’d be sure he’ll go for any ball around him.”
MINDSET
“He’d be a level headed young fella. He’s still doing the Leaving cert at the minute. He played with his club last year that won the Junior championship and he was their scoring threat all the way through.
“They were bet then in the Leinster final by the Kildare team who went on and won the All-Ireland junior.
“He was involved in the schools football, they won the senior colleges in Louth, and then they went on and had a good year winning the Leinster in Division three of the schools competition and they got to the All-Ireland final.
He was playing with the Louth minors too and he was trying to combine the both of them while he was in with us. He featured with us up until the two championship games against Meath
“The reality is that he’s a big month ahead but as I said he’s a level headed young lad and he looks after himself, and everything that’s asked of him is done.”
PRESSURE
“He’s one of these guys that doesn’t seem to be fussed about things and he takes everything in his stride. So I’ve no doubt if Louth throw him in he’ll more than cope with the situation.
“The club had a long season, the school had a long season, and then he came straight into his involvement with the county football both at minor and U21 and now all of a sudden he’s thrown into the senior.
“The reality is every coach and every manager is expecting guys to be sharp at this time of year and be peaking – but in fairness to him and the family they’ve managed it quite well so far.”
THE BEST YET?
“He’s a similar type of player (to Ciaran Byrne). Ciaran at 16 or 17 wasn’t the size he is now, but again Ciaran had all the skill set. He was probably taller, but he developed his whole physique once the interest from the Australian rules came in and he was involved with the senior panel.
“He got stronger and that and that’s probably something Ryan will do over the next 18 months and buy in to the weights and that a wee bit more.”
AFL AWAITS?
“I don’t know yet if there’s any interest but I’m sure there will be as the scouting system here seems to pick up every young fella that has talent for the AFL. It’s a different type of player that makes it out there though.
“Because of who he is and how he’s making waves here he’s going to attract the attention of the scouts no doubt about it, but whether the game or style of game suits him that’s another thing.”
WESTMEATH
“I’d say he’ll come in but it depends on how Louth are doing. He came on and played a challenge game there against Armagh last week and they gave him a bit of a run and he wasn’t out of his depth so it’s like anything if you’re good enough your old enough.
“Louth and Westmeath have a history and they’re sick of the sight of each other over the last few years, there’s nothing they don’t know about each other.
“Home advantage will give Westmetath slight favourite tags but they’re both after coming off the back of poor league campaigns so mentally it depends on which team can put the early scores on the board and kick on from there.”
9 young players to watch out for in this summer’s football championship
Royal Replay – Meath defeat Louth to set up Leinster U21 semi-final with Offaly
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Burnout Comp:All-Ireland Senior Football Championship GAA Louth Wonderkid