Ulster Club SFC: Cargin teenage talent Conhuir Johnston 'seriously level-headed' - Ronan Devlin
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Ronan Devlin says Conhuir Johnston is "so modest" despite being a "damn good player"
Cargin boss Ronan Devlin says 18-year-old forward talent Conhuir Johnston remains "seriously level-headed" despite being earmarked for GAA stardom from his early teenage years.
Devlin knows more than most about Johnston having also taught him at St Mary's Magherafelt.
Johnston starred in the school's MacRory Cup triumph in 2022 when Devlin was part of the management team.
"When I started with Cargin I think he might have been under-14," says Devlin.
"They were talking about him as if he was the second coming of Jesus at that stage," Devlin added of Johnston, who scored two goals in Cargin's Antrim Final win over Dunloy last month.
"[But] when he arrived [at senior level] he had to work hard to be honest.
"He doesn't get it all his own way, but the lad is level-headed and he works hard. He puts a serious shift in. He's so modest but a damn good player."
Devlin added with a laugh: "I had him in school for a while and he wasn't always that mature, but he's definitely that way now. He's learning off a couple of well experienced men."
Those experienced men include Michael McCann, whose second-half arrival helped Cargin take control in the county decider against Dunloy as the Toomebridge men clinched a seventh title in nine seasons.
The pupil, teacher dynamic in Ronan Devlin's Cargin squad is still being maintained by the presence of Ben McLarnon who is among his students at St Mary's Magherafelt
While Johnston's school days at St Mary's Magherafelt ended in June, the pupil-teacher dynamic in the Cargin squad is still being maintained by the presence of Ben McLarnon.
"When they arrive in Cargin, I look upon them as a footballer. They probably still look upon me as a teacher," says Devlin.
"Ben McLarnon is on the panel at the minute and is a current pupil and I'd say it fries his head at times whether to call me 'sir' or 'Ronan'.
"It's a weird one but it's nice at the same time. You see them in two different scenarios."
As for Sunday's Ulster Club quarter-final against defending champions Glen, Devlin knows all about the opposition, with his side having given the Derry champions plenty of trouble in last year's semi-final before a late Danny Tallon penalty secured a slightly flattering 1-10 to 0-8 victory for Malachy O'Rourke's team.
"If we do look back to last year, I thought we were well in the game for the majority of it. We did OK for the most part but there are definitely areas that we can improve," says Devlin.
"The problem is Glen will have improved too so both of us will try and up our games. I can tell you, we're looking forward to it."