GLIST – Derry’s best forwards, excluding players from the 1993 team

THESE players are listed in order of their debuts, from the oldest to themost recent.

Johnny McBride – 1995-2006

Johnny McBride was a leader of men. He came into the senior team having captained Derry minors and u-21s to glory.

At senior level he was part of the 1998 team that won the Ulster title. He was part of the team that went on the run to the All-Ireland semi-final in the backdoor. He was a great play-maker, a ball-winner and an inspirational player. He captained Derry in 2006, the year when they beat Tyrone at Healy Park and held them scoreless in the first half.

Dermot Dougan – 1995-2008

The Newbridge forward was a gifted attacker with great vision and scoring ability.

He was famous in Derry circles for the ‘Dougie boogie’, a shimmy that provided him with enough space to work his magic in the forward line. His two goals were crucial when Derry beat Armagh in the 1998 Ulster semi-final. They would go on to win the final and Dougan scored a point. He featured in the run to the 2001 All-Ireland semi-final, and scored 0-3 against Galway, though the Tribe would win by 1-14 to 1-11.

Enda Muldoon – 1997-2011

The Ballinderry maestro was big and he was stylish. He had a languid style of carrying himself, but he could kick scores, sell dummies and make outrageous passes.

He scored a point in the 1998 Ulster semi-final win over Armagh, and started the final at midfield. He won in All-Star in 2000 when Derry lost the Ulster final to Armagh, when he scored two points in the final. He was a key player in 2001 when Derry reached the All-Ireland semi-final, and scored a goal in that clash with Galway. During Derry’s run to the All-Ireland semi-final in 2004, Muldoon was a regular partner for Paddy Bradley and the pair were a deadly duo. Muldoon scored 1-6 in the quarter-final win over Westmeath. The Shamrocks man won a National League title in 2008, and played an important role as Derry beat Kerry in the final.

Paddy Bradley – 1998-2012

RegardED by many as Derry’s greatest ever forward. He joined the Derry team in 1998 when they won the Ulster title and thought that he was going to be winning a string of titles.

Things didn’t work out that way however for the next 16 years Bradley was a devastating threat for the Oak Leafers. He was part of the great team in 2001 that reached the All-Ireland semi-final. In 2004 he was the top scorer in the Oak Leafers run to the All-Ireland semi-final, and would win an All-Star award for his performances. He was similarly devastating in 2007. In 2011 he missed the Ulster final due to injury. However, his record was remarkable.

Conleith Gilligan 2000-2012

The Ballinderry player was a regular free-taker for the county, but was also a wily operator in the attack.

He was an important part of the Derry team in 2004 when they reached the All-Ireland semi-final, and in that game against Kerry he scored 0-2. Then in 2007 he was a regular scoring during the Ulster and All-Ireland series. He scored 19 points in their six games in Ulster and the Qualifiers and quarter-final matches. In 2011, Gilligan was part of the Derry team that reached the Ulster final, he only managed a free in that game against Donegal’s tough defence.

Eoin Bradley – 2004-2015

The other Glenullin Bradley is the younger brother of Paddy. He didn’t make the same impact as his brother, but his talent on the field was unquestionable.

He featured in the 2004 and 2007 runs in the All-Ireland series. He missed the Ulster final 2011 which left so many wondering what might have been.

Mark Lynch – 2004 – 2018

From the moment he appeared onto the scene, Mark Lynch was regarded as the next great thing in Derry football.

He had a brilliant ability to carry the ball at the attack without being dispossessed and was capable of scoring from crazy angles and distances. In the years after Paddy Bradley departed, Lynch took over the main scoring role and on occasion he could be deadly. For example in the 2013 championship,, he hit 0-8 against Cavan. He was respected and feared in equal measure in Ulster.

Enda Lynn – 2008-2019

The Greenlough attacker was not a scoring machine when he was playing but he presented a threat to Derry’s opponents in that he had great movement, and he was hard to stick with. he could chip in with points from time to time, but it was his clever link play that made him important. His longevity was also a key factor in his place on the team.

James Kielt 2009-2018

Kielt was part of the Derry minor team that almost won an All-Ireland title.

He was courted by teams in Australia but stayed around to play for his county. Immensely strong, Kielt was also an accurate free-taker and a man who would take games by the scruff of the neck. He’s often overlooked for his contribution, but his scoring rate was respectable. He scored four points in the 2011 Ulster final.

Shane McGuigan – 2019-present

McGuigan appears to be the natural successor to Paddy Bradley in that he is a gifted attacker who has put the hard work in to get to the top level.

While he only has played county football for a couple of seasons, he is already the go to forward for Derry. New manager Rory Gallagher has even suggested that Derry are over-reliant on the Sleacht Néill forward.

DERMOT DOUGAN… The Newbridge man was one of the most naturally gifted players to ever tog out for Derry

PADDY BRADLEY… Widely regarded as one of the best footballers to ever play he g ame