Alan Mannus has been named the Airtricity/Soccer Writers’ Association of Ireland Goalkeeper of the Year after a season in which his 13 clean sheets played a key part in Shamrock Rovers winning an 18th league title.
“Obviously as a goalkeeper one of the first things you are judged on is clean sheets,” says the Northern Ireland international, “and I’m very proud to have been part of a team and a squad who achieved that.
“As a team we are still trying to improve. But it’s certainly one of the most enjoyable times I have had on the pitch in terms of playing the way we do. We have a good mixture of young players and older lads throughout the team. And in defence, I’ve been well-protected this year and not too busy, I think! That’s mostly down to the players in front of me. We’ve been very strong.”
Mannus previously won the award a decade ago, during his first stint at the Dublin club when, he suggests, he was “fortunate” to get the recognition.
“I remember 10 years ago when I joined Shamrock Rovers and started in this league, I remember thinking the standard here gave a level to which could aspire. There was a different bar to be reached compared to what I had been used to.
“I’m a lot older now (but) I still think that. There are a number of very good goalkeepers in the league, it’s very strong in that aspect and in terms of developing good young goalkeepers.”
His experience has helped him to stand out from the pack this year, though, and Mannus says he is proud of what the team has achieved together over the course of what has been a challenging campaign.
“It has been a strange season with everything that’s gone on but the stand-out thing for me is that even after winning the league, we were able to go unbeaten as well. That was a big goal for us to achieve. Obviously the clean sheet record, conceding very few goals and really limiting opportunities for teams to score.”
As Rovers look to build on their success with signings like Seán Hoare, Chris McCann, Danny Mandroiu and Seán Gannon, new players who have all been confirmed in the past week, Mannus is bound, given his form this season, to be seen as a key component of next year’s team and despite being 38, the Canadian-born goalkeeper is confident he another while left in him at this level.
“I’ll go another year and see how it goes,” he says before paying tribute to retiring Dundalk goalkeeper Gary Rogers. “I’m really enjoying it, I still feel really good and the club have been really good in looking after me now.
“He (Rogers),” he continues, “has been a top class goalkeeper in this country for the last ten years. I just want to wish him all the best with his retirement. I don’t think you’ll see another Gary Rogers, he has really set the standard over the last ten or fifteen years. He’s been incredible in terms of achievements and performances. We won’t see the likes of him again.”
