Alan Mannus is 40, the most effective goalkeeper in home soccer in Eire and nonetheless going robust for Shamrock Rovers.
In a trophy laden profession, he has gained 5 league titles with Linfield, is on the right track to equal that haul together with his present workforce and was an inspirational determine when St Johnstone ended their 130 yr look ahead to silverware. Throw in 9 Northern Eire caps and this modest, considerate character will inform you he feels lucky to have had all these experiences. It’s his managers and team-mates who're the fortunate ones.
It is a man who has by no means sought the limelight, simply enhancements in his recreation serving to his golf equipment and nation within the course of. After over twenty years of first workforce soccer to proceed to carry out at such a excessive degree is testomony to his dedication, dedication and talent in addition to his bodily and psychological power. You get the sensation he might go on for some time but.
“I really feel nearly as good as ever and higher than final yr. Bodily I’m actually good and nonetheless have the motivation to attempt to do my greatest which is why I’m nonetheless taking part in,” he says.
Canadian born Mannus joined Linfield at 16, making his first workforce debut earlier than he was out of his teenagers.
“Linfield being Linfield is all about expectation and demand to win leagues, cups and each recreation. To undergo all of the stuff you undergo to play for Linfield was a giant studying course of for me,” stated Mannus.
“At Linfield you will have to have the ability to meet what's required. You be taught in a short time and discover a strategy to cope with it or you aren't going to be there for lengthy.
“I used to be there at a extremely good time underneath David Jeffrey. As a younger participant it was a giant factor to have him because the supervisor. I learnt rather a lot from him plus gamers like Noel Bailie, Glenn Ferguson and William Murphy and others.”
Mannus, who as soon as scored a aim for the Blues, picks out profitable the 2005 Setanta Cup and clear sweep in 2006 amongst many highlights over 10 years at Windsor Park earlier than in 2009 switching to Shamrock Rovers the place Michael O’Neill was in cost.
He's sincere and upfront concerning the the reason why.
“The extent of goalkeeping within the League of Eire was a lot larger than the Irish League on the time. The goalkeepers have been higher with extra to their recreation,” says Mannus.
“The Irish League was about making saves, claiming crosses and kicking lengthy, whereas the League of Eire goalkeepers have been much more lively and concerned within the play and possession. While you see different goalkeepers doing that you simply suppose you'll want to do it so it type of modifications your recreation.
“There was a giant motivation for me to get to England or Scotland and I knew gamers have been all the time transferring throughout from the League of Eire which wasn’t actually the case within the Irish League again then.
“After I went to Rovers the supporters have been superb to me. We gained the league for the primary time in fairly a couple of years underneath Michael O’Neill and performed Juventus in Europe which was good.
“The following yr we have been in Europe once more although I obtained the chance to go away in the summertime for St Johnstone. We agreed that I might play towards Estonia workforce Flora Tallinn within the first spherical of the Champions League after which I might go to Scotland in order that was my final recreation.”
Mannus provides that shortly after his departure the Dublin outfit did ‘brilliantly’ to achieve the group phases of the Europa League turning into the primary Irish membership to attain such a feat. What the modest goalkeeper doesn’t say is that it was his penalty save versus Flora Tallinn in a two legged victory that gave them an opportunity to create historical past.
Eleven years on he's taking part in within the group phases of the Europa Convention League with Shamrock Rovers.
“Attending to the group phases in Europe in 2011 was nice for the membership. I missed out on that have which is why I’m having fun with it a lot this time,” says Mannus.
“In Europe this season we've overwhelmed Ludogorets and Ferencvaros at house which reveals how good we might be and we've a degree from our first two matches within the group video games and the intention is to get extra in our remaining fixtures.
“You be taught on a regular basis from European video games. We need to be a workforce within the group phases in Europe yearly. We don’t need it to be a one off the place we get to the group phases and aren’t there for one more 5 years. We need to be there persistently,” provides Mannus who shall be essential within the League of Eire title race run in with desk topping Rovers two factors away from Derry Metropolis coming into the ultimate laps.
In between two profitable spells at Tallaght stadium got here seven magnificent years at St Johnstone the place he established himself as one of many high goalkeepers in Scotland and helped the membership win their first ever trophy - the 2014 Scottish Cup.
He recollects: “Going over to St Johnstone I used to be 29 in order that was my transfer into correct full-time soccer. At that age I had nearly given up hope of doing it.
“I had seen others go throughout and believed I might do it however somebody has to provide the likelihood. Fortunately St Johnstone did. It took a very long time to get the chance so I used to be decided to indicate I might play within the Scottish Premier League.”
Behind Peter Enckelman within the pecking order, Mannus needed to bide his time.
“In my first season I didn’t play till February. I used to be solely on a one yr contract and when it obtained to January I used to be beginning to consider what I used to be going to do on the finish of the season as a result of with out taking part in no one would know something about me and it will be troublesome to get one other yr there or at one other membership. Then I obtained the chance in February and I used to be requested to remain on and it went from there.”
At St Johnstone with Tommy Wright on the helm, Mannus was instrumental within the workforce ending as excessive as third within the league, qualifying for Europe and claiming the Cup, beating Dundee United 2-0 within the remaining at Parkhead.
“Dundee United have been favourites and had Andy Robertson, now at Liverpool, and Stuart Armstrong, now at Southampton, and different good gamers. We additionally had workforce and the gamers and the workers labored rather well collectively and had individuals who knew the right way to win video games.
“Plenty of St Johnstone followers discuss it as being among the best days of their lives so to be a part of the workforce that introduced that to them after how they supported me meant an awesome deal to me.”
So too did his time as a Northern Eire worldwide which began with an extended haul flight to the Caribbean in 2004 to hitch the squad for the final leg of a put up season tour and are available off the bench for his debut towards Trinidad and Tobago to the Euro finals in 2016 the place he was a part of the panel.
“Rising up as a footballer in Northern Eire you need to play for the nation at senior degree and I by no means actually thought it might occur,” admits Mannus.
“To get that chance within the Caribbean was a pleasant shock and unbelievable for me. Then to be concerned for such a very long time by the not so good occasions to the actually good occasions underneath Michael O’Neill and the Euros was good.
“To be round good individuals like Maik Taylor, Roy Carroll and Michael McGovern was additionally improbable. I might have favored extra caps however similtaneously a youngster I by no means thought I’d get the possibility to play for Northern Eire so I've good recollections.”
Mannus has been teaching Hillsborough Boys and Ladies (ages 7-14) for the previous three years and having accomplished his Goalkeeping A Licence assists the IFA’s Alan Simpson and William McFrederick to ship goalkeeping licences.
He says he's studying on a regular basis in a sport he feels has been good to him.
“I've been actually lucky in soccer as a result of not like different gamers I haven’t been going to completely different golf equipment yearly or had dangerous occasions and fall-outs with managers. I’ve by no means had a supervisor I didn’t like and that may be uncommon in soccer,” says Mannus.
“Soccer has been profession for me and I’ve met individuals from completely different backgrounds which in any other case might not have occurred. I’ve labored with nice individuals at Shamrock Rovers, Linfield and St Johnstone and the followers at these three golf equipment have been good to me singing my title. I’m pleased with that and have all the time given every thing once I’ve performed.”