McGovern's excellence in league and cup run not going unnoticed

Editorial Department • Published 25 Feb 2010 10:22 0 Comments

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Michael McGovern in action for Ross County earlier in the season.

Fermanagh players have been making their mark in Scottish football this year with Kyle Lafferty and Andy Little featuring for Glasgow Rangers while Craig Hill has been making good inroads at Dundee United since joining the club from Ballinamallard at the start of the season.

However, the man who has probably made the biggest impression this season has been goalkeeper Michael McGovern.

McGovern has been one of the stars for unfashionable Ross County who are in the promotion hunt in Division One while the club are also through to the quarter-finals of the Scottish Cup where they will come up against SPL side Hibernian.

McGovern has learnt his trade at two of Scotland biggest clubs having started off his career at Glasgow Celtic where the 25 year old had the opportunity to learn off the likes of Artur Boruc. At the start of last season he signed for Dundee United but it was a conversation with then Tangerines boss, and now Scotland manager Craig Levein that persuaded him to go out in search of first team football.

"I spoke to Craig Levein last year and he told me that he intended bringing in an experienced goalkeeper so the chances of me playing were slim. After that I decided that I had to go and play first team football and I then had the opportunity to come to Ross County," said the former Enniskillen Town man.

The switch to Ross County finally saw McGovern secure first team football and he is enjoying his time at the club as they push hard for promotion.

"It has been a great move for me. Goalkeepers are different in that they can probably afford to bide their time with a couple of seasons on the bench but it got to the stage where I needed to be playing games to progress my career and this move has worked really well. I have been playing every week and the team has been doing really well. Everyone at the club has been great, from management to the players and the supporters," commented McGovern.

The Northern Ireland international has certainly been making a big impression in the club. One supporter on a Ross County fans forum describes him as "the best goalkeeper I think I seen in my time watching Ross County".

McGovern has played 30 times for the club so far this season and has kept ten clean-sheets with his form not having gone unnoticed with other clubs showing an interest in the shot-stopper.

Having only signed a one year deal at the club he will be out if contract at the end of the season although there is an offer of a new contract on the table from Ross County. Whatever club the Enniskillen man is with next season, he is determined that it will be as first choice goalkeeper.

"I signed for one year but I have been offered a new contract and I'm in talks with the club. What I want to do is play at the highest possible level but it is also important to me to be playing week in, week out. I feel that this season has really helped progress my career and I'm happy at the club but I'm not going to make any decisions just yet as we have a busy period coming up and I want to concentrate on that for now," he said.

County currently sit second in the table, eight points adrift of leaders Dundee, although they have three games in hand. With only one team promoted though it is a difficult division to get out of, and McGovern feels that Dundee probably have a slight edge.

"This is a tight league and anybody who puts together a good run will be up there challenging but so far we have been going well. It is definitely a hard league to get out of with only one team going up and Dundee would be the favourites as they are the club with the highest budget but we will keep going and see how we get on," added McGovern.

And there has also been a terrific cup run to enjoy with the club reaching the last eight of the Scottish Cup where they will come up against Hibernian.

"This is the first time we have got into the quarter finals and we're now only one game away from Hampden. It is a very hard draw and nobody gives us a chance but we've faired quite well against the bigger sides this season and we'll be looking to give it our best shot," he explained.

This article appeared in Impartial Reporter 25 Feb 10

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