When St Michael’s race out on to the Croke Park pitch on Saturday it will be Brandon Horan who leads them out.

The captain’s performances throughout the campaign have earned him rave reviews, and rightly so, but his leadership has also shone through.

When St Michael’s have been in bother, Horan has stepped up to the plate and led by example.

The player himself though stresses that there are plenty of leaders in the ranks.

“There are lots of leaders in this team, I’m just one of them,” he said. “We’ve leaders all over the pitch and when things get tough the leaders step up and we will always fight to the end. There is a lot of character in this side and that has always come through when we have had set backs in games.”

The Hogan Cup will be on the line on Saturday when St Michael’s take on Naas CBS and Horan knows just what clinching a first ever Hogan would mean to the school.

“To bring a Hogan Cup back to the school for the first time would be incredible. To create history and be captain of this team would top off a great season and for the school it would be brilliant,” he stated.

If they are to do that though then Brandon knows that they are going to have to perform and he acknowledges that they can’t get caught up in the occasion.

“We know that we have a performance to put in and a job to do. Yes, we will take in the atmosphere and it is exciting times but it is another game, it is a final and it is all about winning so we are focused on getting a performance and nothing else,” added the Enniskillen Gaels midfielder.

And he feels they are going to have to be at their best to come out winners.

“It is a final so any team we would be playing would be good. We know that Naas are a great team and we are going to have to be at our best if we are to beat them,” he added.

He does though feel that the Croke Park pitch will suit St Michael’s.

“It’s a huge pitch and we will be looking to spread the play and use our pace. I think the space will suit us but it is alright saying that, we have to go and do that now,” said the St Michael’s captain.