*Clare goalkeeper, Stephen Ryan. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
NOT ALONE has Stephen Ryan’s responsibility as a leader within the Clare senior football panel changed but so too has the role of the county’s first choice goalkeeper on the field.
Appointed vice captain by new manager Mark Fitzgerald, for the entire Allianz National Football League campaign Stephen captained Clare in the absence of the injured Cillian Brennan.
Ryan’s rise to vice captaincy was arguably accelerated given the departure of twelve members of last year’s panel but he is not shirking away from the responsibility. “I’m enjoying it, we’re lucky in that we have plenty of leaders within the group, there’s a few lads that have stayed on that would be real leaders, I’m trying to do my bit for the team, there’s a lot of good lads around me”.
Another noticeable difference in Clare’s play is the greater involvement of their goalkeeper in direct play with the Kilrush man operating as an extra man even going as far as the middle third throughout Clare’s league run. “The game is developing that way, you see it that the keeper has been coming out a small bit more so we’re no different and we’re trying to make use of that extra man, it is something that I’ve brought into my game a bit more than previous years,” the Dublin based AIB employee told The Clare Echo.
Familiarity with playing outfield in previous seasons at full-forward for Kilrush is a help in this sector, he said fellow goalkeeper Tristan O’Callaghan of St Breckan’s is equally as comfortable out the field, “Tristan is well able to as well, there’s no fear of him there, I’ve had a couple of years and have played outfield underage so it’s a part of my game I’d be comfortable enough with, it is something I’ve worked on a bit more than in previous years”.
When Clare defeated Waterford by a point in the 2019 Munster SFC quarter-final, it was a game which marked Stephen’s championship debut between the posts. While he hasn’t experience of playing senior in Fraher Field, he expects a tough test from the Déise in Dungarvan. They’ll have a lot of momentum and a bit of positivity in the group after a good win against Tipperary. We know it is a tough test but we’re focused on ourselves and hopefully if we get our performance right on the day the performance will follow. My debut in 2019 was against Waterford here in Cusack Park, we just got over the line on that day, we would have played them a bit alright underage but it is always a tough test, they have a lot of good players, we know it is going to be a tough test but one we’re looking forward”.
Reflecting on Clare’s run in the National League, Stephen outlined, “We didn’t dwell on it too long, we took a lot of positives from it, we’ve had a good bit to work on for the last couple of weeks looking forward to the championship, overall it is positive but we’re disappointed with the way it turned out the last day, all eyes are on championship for the week ahead”.
“I didn’t focus on it too much,” Stephen admitted when asked what was his reaction to hearing Clare would be without twelve of the 2023 panel for Mark Fitzgerald’s first campaign in charge. “The lads have given serious time and effort to Clare football, they had really driven it on the last couple of years, they all had their own reasons for stepping away so we had to focus on the few lads we still had and the lads coming into the panel. We didn’t focus on it too much, they all gave so much to Clare football, all you can do is thank them for it”.
He continued, “we still had a strong bunch left and we knew that, the lads who came on really pushed us on another level, we were close but came up a bit short in the end, it is something to focus on for next year but all eyes are on Waterford for the week ahead”.
