| 6. What route/how did you get into the game? |
| I was encouraged by my Dad and through BB. |
| 7. I know you are only a young goalkeeper but what advice would you give to youngsters wanting to become a keeper? |
| I would say to young keepers that football is a hard game and it brings many ups and downs for example getting dropped is hard to take but it is important that you stick at it and bounce back. |
| 8. What’s the best advice you’ve received? |
| It was from my brother and he told me (after getting dropped) its all about how your react to it. It’s about how you bounce back. |
| 9. Who’s been the biggest influence on your career so far? |
| My Dad and family. |
| 10. Who do you play like/compare yourself to? Did you have any idols? |
| I love to watch the Northern Ireland goalkeepers warm up at matches and really like to watch Maik Taylor. However in the premiership I am a big fan of Man City’s Joe Hart. |
| 11. How often do you train? |
| I train 2 times per week. I train once with the team and one with the Glenavon goalkeepers. |
| 12. What is your favourite drill or practice? |
| I love the warm up we do at Glenavon its called “head or catch” it gets you thinking and quickens reactions never mind the laughs… |
| 13. Do you think that it is important to have a goalkeeping coach at your club? |
| Yes I think it’s vital. I really think that keepers can get bored if they are left to train with the team. |
| 14. Do you have one? |
| Yes at Glenavon it’s currently Terry Nicholson. But before that it was Junior Mercer. |
| 15. Would you like the IFA to organise regular goalkeeping clinics. Do you think that goalkeepers would be interested and attend? |
| Definitely, I would love the IFA to introduce clinics I think they would be very beneficial and could improve many goalkeepers game. I think young keepers would love it. |
| 16. Do you think it would benefit you if they did organise goalkeeping clinics? |
| Yes definitely my all round game would benefit. |
| 17. What are your strengths/weaknesses? |
| My strengths would be my talking, my size and my shot stopping. Maybe you should ask the defence. Haha. |
| 18. Are you good at saving penalty kicks? Do you have a technique for every penalty kick you face? |
| I used to take penalties for Lurgan town believe it or not. I like trying to save them I saved one last week against the Crues. I try to make my self look massive and leave it as late as possible to dive. Always watch their body language. |
| 19. What’s it like working with Tuda Murphy the Glenavon first team goalkeeper?
|
| Tuda is great. He’s a character as well. Tuda is unbelievable at taking crosses and is lightening sharp and has great reactions. I have learned many things off Tuda and he’s brilliant towards younger players around the club. |
| 20. What do you think off your boss at Glenavon Football Club? You can sum him up in a few words if you like. |
I haven’t really been talking to the new boss. But he seems to have passion and wants Glenavon to move up the table and back to winning ways.
| 21. How do you deal with criticism? |
| I can take it well enough and as I said its all about bouncing back. |
| 22. What are your ambitions career playing wise? Where do you see yourself in five years time? |
| I would love to make it to the Northern Ireland under 18s squad as I narrowly missed out for the schoolboy squad. I would love to be playing first team football for an Irish league team preferably Glenavon.
|
| 23. What’s been the best moment of your career so far? |
And the worst?
| The best moment is making it to the Milk Cup this year and playing against Watford. Also making my Glenavon reserve debut at 15.
The worst is missing out in the Northern Ireland Schoolboy squad by one place. |
| 24. On Saturday or when you play how do you prepare for a game? |
| I get up early for my morning match and get tuned in listening to some music. On the way down in the car my Dad gets a paper and I read it and try to relax. In the changing room I get focused first listening to music and then enjoy the banter with the rest of the lads. |
| 25. What make of gloves do you wear? What model of gloves do you wear? |
| I am currently wearing Sells Wraps. They are the best I have ever worn. I also have Sells Giants, grabbed them in a sale a while back. They are flat palm and I tend to wear them in wet weather. My wraps are roll finger. |
| 26. What boots do you wear? |
At the moment adidas world cups (SG) and Nike total 90 (FG)
| 27. Who would you say is the best keeper in the world at the moment?
|
| Its hard to choose between Petr Cech and Gigi Buffon |
| 28. Who is the best keeper or keepers in the Irish League? |
| I have 2 Alan Mannus and Portadowns David Miskelly. |
| 29. Who’s the best player you’ve played with? |
| Probably our centre midfielder Liam Bagnell or our left-winger Philly McGrath. |
| 30. What’s the best stadium you’ve played in? |
| The oval. Different class! |
| 31. Who’s the biggest joker in the dressing room? |
| Our coach Chris Beattie. He can take the hand out of anyone in a second! |
| 32. Have you any secrets that you want to share with us about Tuda Murphy or Paul Rice?
|
| Haha. Not at the moment but if I hear anything I will give you a shout! |
| 33. What music do you listen to? |
| Kayne West, the killers, U2. |
| 34. What TV programmes do you watch? |
| Friends, the Simpson’s, Everybody loves Raymond. |
| 35. What car do you drive or should I say in your case what car would you like to drive when you are old enough? |
| BMW X5 or a Golf GTI (white) |
| 36. What’s your favourite food/drink? |
| My favourite food is steak chips and mushrooms with pepper sauce. Brilliant!! |
| 37. Have you got a nickname? And if so why. |
| No plain and simple Daniel. |
| 38. The Setanta Cup will be starting soon, what do you think of having an all Ireland League? What would be the pluses and the minuses? |
| I can’t see it. I really wouldn’t like it I would only see Linfield and Glentoran competing with the Irish teams. The pluses are more games but the minuses are the Irish teams dominating the Irish league. |
| 39. If you were put in charge of Football for Northern Ireland how would you go about attracting more people to come and watch Irish League football instead of them going over to watch the likes of Manchester United/ Liverpool/ Rangers / Celtic? |
| Play more matches on a Friday night. Make prices cheaper. I think the facilities of most grounds must improve. |
| 40. If you weren’t a keeper what other position would you like to play? |
| Striker… I can see myself knocking in 30 a season. Haha |
| 41. Describe yourself in five words… |
| Determined, Passionate, Dedicated, Talkative, Talented (hopefully) |
