DONEGAL MANAGER RORY GALLAGHER today confirmed that goalkeeper Michael Boyle has ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament and will undergo an operation in the coming weeks.
Gallagher was the guest of Charlie Collins on Donegal Sport Hub’s Podcast #13 and afterwards confirmed the injury of the Termon netminder, who spent the summer playing for Donegal Boston having left the Donegal panel following the Ulster SFC quarter-final win over Armagh in June.
The knee injury generally takes up to eight months to heal and it’s the second time in a week Gallagher has heard such news, with Buncrana forward Darach O’Connor suffering a similar injury.
“It’s a blow for Michael and we’ll be keeping an eye out now for goalkeepers,” Gallagher said. “He will have an operation and then we’ll keep an eye on him.”
Photo caption: Michael Boyle, with Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Shay Given, former Donegal goalkeeping coach Pat Shovelin and Paul Durcan at county training in Convoy last year. Photo: Geraldine Diver
Boyle was pushing Paul Durcan for the No 1 jersey having played in the Allianz League last season against Dublin, Tyrone, Mayo and Cork but the Ballyboden St Enda’s ‘keeper Durcan was back between the sticks by the time Tyrone arrived in Ballybofey in May for the Ulster championship preliminary round.
Durcan confirmed in the wake of Donegal’s loss to Mayo in the All-Ireland quarter-final that he would be an absentee for the early part of 2016 as he was due to move to Dubai with his wife Edel, who was to take up a teaching contract.
Danny Rodgers from Dungloe – the 2014 All-Ireland minor finalist with Declan Bonner’s Donegal – is currently training with Gallagher’s senior panel and Mark Athony McGinley from St Michael’s was promoted to second choice goalkeeper after Boyle headed for the US.
Meanwhile, Gallagher is also on the lookout for a new selector with the news today that Gary McDaid has left the set-up due to family commitments. McDaid, the former Glenswilly manager, and his wife Mandi recently celebrated the birth of their third child.
