By Shaun Casey

FIVE points down in the All-Ireland quarter-final, Donegal had all the excuses in the world to fold up the tent, accept their fate and wave their season goodbye. But Michael Langan had other ideas.

Monaghan were absolutely ravenous in the opening 35 minutes and carved open a seven-point lead by the moment the half-time whistle sounded. By the 44th minute mark, that deficit was cut to five and Langan was just about to turn the game on its head.

On the day he marks his 100th appearance in a Donegal shirt, the rangy St Michael’s clubman claims possession just behind the 45-metre line. The pop-pass inside finds the on-running Michael Murphy. Langan keeps running.

Finnbarr Roarty’s selfless movement has opened up a gap. Murphy completes the quickfire one-two. Langan dances by the challenge of Dylan Byrne and smashes the ball past the helpless Rory Beggan in the Monaghan goal.

Donegal aren’t only back in contention. They are just getting started. Moments later he adds to his tally and that leaves Donegal on level terms. There’s no way back for Monaghan. Donegal take control and comfortably cruise through to the semi-finals and a meeting with Meath.

“Michael plays around the middle of the field for Donegal but he could easily play inside,” said his St Michael’s club manager Daniel McLaughlin. “He’s very agile, he can fetch, he can kick off both feet and for a big man, he can turn defenders inside out with a jink.

“He’s got a great finish too. I know he blasted that one to the back of the net, but he can also take his time and just pick a spot. He’s got all those attributes and we’re seeing it the last few years and that’s why he’s one of the main men for Donegal.”

Murphy played down his role in the finish but was still full of praise for Langan after the game.

“I’m delighted for him. I didn’t do any setting up, he set it up himself with a great shimmy and a great dummy and down the middle (he went),” said Murphy.

“He’s a phenomenal player and we are so, so fortunate to have him. As a whole group, we know the talent he has. For a man that’s so big, to have that turn of foot and that skill is a huge package to have.

“He’s six foot four, can kick points from range, he has the silkiness of a corner-forward and the physicality of a midfielder. We are so fortunate to have him. He’s just a great player to play alongside. He has all the skills.

“One hundred appearances is a brilliant achievement for him and his family and all his club. They are big supporters of him, his family come to watch every single Donegal game and they’ll be delighted for him. Hopefully he can kick on now for the last couple (of games).”

McLaughin, who manages the St Michael’s team alongside fellow All-Ireland winner Martin McElhinney, is as you can imagine, super proud of his clubmate. There isn’t much that the midfielder can’t do and he’s really flourishing under Jim McGuinness.

“He can mix it both offensively and defensively and he seems to have added a lot of things to his game the last few years. Even that wee dink ball inside, he’s good at moving the ball left and right and being that playmaker.

“Nowadays you can’t just be that old style midfielder that just looks to fetch but he can move along the ground, and he can mix it. He can get on the end of scores and even getting two-pointers now as well.

“If he gets a one-on-one with most people, you’d back him to at least get a shot off, which is a key thing that Donegal try to do, is to get those shots off in the dangerous areas so he’s a really key figure for them.”

McLaughlin has been lucky enough to witness the growth of Langan from an early age. As a young lad, Langan would head down to the club field, bag of balls in hand, and spend hours upon hours honing his craft.

He won a Buncrana Cup with Donegal in 2013. An Ulster Minor League title the following season. Langan was part of Donegal’s Under 21 provincial-winning side in 2017. His star has been sparking brightly for quite some time.

“Michael has been a standout player for us from an early age and looking back, he’s a fella you would have seen at the pitch on his own kicking points off both left and right foot back when he was 14 or 15,” recalled McLaughlin.

“His dad (Mark) would have been down with him and put in a big effort with him and we’re seeing the fruits of that now going into senior football. He had a big interest in it and his dad would have helped him along.”

At club level, he’s always willing to add a helping hand.

“In fairness to him, any chance he can get to be down at training or at a game, we had a game last Sunday against Kilcar and he was there. He doesn’t miss too many, he tries to be there as often as he can.

“He’s that kind of presence and tries to give fellas advice and he’s great around the kids, a lot of kids come up to him these days and he has that great way about him and he’s been great for us the last number of years both on and off the field.

“I remember we played Ardara one time, and I’d say Michael was only about 18 at the time and he was hitting 45s and he stood up to the mantle that day, he nailed a couple and even at that age he was comfortable in stepping up and being a leader.

“We had Colm (McFadden) and Christy (Toye) still in their prime and for him to come in at that age, that stands out, that maturity he has, and you see that too now with how he plays. He’s had some great days for us, and he’s really come on in the last few years for Donegal.”

Langan isn’t walking a lonely trail. Instead, he’s following in the footsteps of greats that have gone before him. Last Saturday, he became the fourth St Michael’s man to make 100 appearance for Donegal.

McFadden, Toye and McElhinney showed him the way. From making his debut in 2018 to reaching the century milestone, he’s been more than happy to follow those that have gone before him.

“It’s a lot of trucking in fairness,” McLaughlin continued. “He’s eight years on the road and that’s a lot of games under the belt and not many boys get to surpass 100 and I suppose in the club, we’re lucky to have had three before him.

“It’s something that the club are very proud of that we’ve produced that calibre of player on four separate occasions and hopefully, with the amount of games that are played now, you couldn’t count out another 100.”