Danny Magill: Down’s action man planning a return to action

Danny Magill was in the form of his life with Down last season and focused on Burren’s title bid before injury stopped him in his tracks. He is now back on the road to recovery. Michael McMullan writes….

THERE is a steely look etched across Danny Magill’s face. His attention to detail and facts almost hit you between the eyes. There is a love of sport. Meeting him for the first time, it’s impossible not to feed off the energy of his words.

If you didn’t know he was on his way back from a torn cruciate ligament, you’d never guess it. Apart from answering questions about a rocky few months, the Burren man is locked into the future.

It’s not hard to see why Conor Laverty made sure he was one of the u-20s elevated from a winning culture to senior level.

Earlier this year, he was part of Ulster University’s Sigerson Cup team who bowed out at the hands of eventual champions DCU. Playing alongside his cousin Ryan, his point wasn’t enough in a midweek semi-final extra-time defeat.

It was in the colours of Down that he really blossomed as one of 10 players to have played every game of league and championship in 2025. His 1-34, all from play and including five two-pointers, shot him to second top-scorer behind Pat Havern.

His game was more than the numbers. It was his energy and relentless running that made him a link man and somebody Ronan Burns looked for on kick-outs.

Jim McGuinness knew it too. As Down challenged the Ulster champions in the semi-final in Clones, the Donegal boss barked plenty of instructions, much of it about getting a handle on Magill.

“That’s definitely a compliment,” Magill said, through the glimmer of a smile.

“I suppose it’s always a good thing when Jim McGuinness is shouting your name, you’re obviously doing something right.”

Magill is a deep thinker. For all the pros of a championship campaign that must certainly have had him in the thoughts of the All-Star selection panel, he wasn’t happy with his league offering.

“You’re only as good as your last game I suppose,” he mused. “On a personal level, I didn’t have a good National League for Down, I wasn’t happy with it at all. I sat down by myself and wrote it down, things I wanted to achieve.

“I definitely felt like I was getting there and I suppose the injury came at a bad enough time, as I was getting ready for the club campaign with Burren.”

Before the Down club scene kicked into gear, Magill spent the summer with his cousin Ryan in Boston playing a bit of ball before making the return.

“We were back 18 or 19 days beforehand. We had a challenge game and it was moving really well,” Danny said.

“I felt brilliant in training, I felt brilliant in the gym and we had Castlewellan in the first round on a Friday night, the opening fixture of the senior championship.”

By half-time, Danny had been carried off, having gone down with injury. He knew there and then that he was in bother.

“It was the 22nd of August,” he said, instantly remembering, even knowing that the clock ticked three seconds into the 11th minute.

Defeat, injury and disappointment are all of the same mould. Competitors never forget defeats and Magill will never forget that moment.

“I know my ones, the screams of me. The pain I had, I’ll definitely never forget it,” he said.

The days and weeks passed. Surgery came and went, only to be replaced with recovery, rehab and new targets.

While he is facing into a new season, where he will begin looking in from the outside, Magill is positive. Looking back is for history. Looking forward is about the now.

“At the time I was itching to be 12 weeks post-surgery and here I am talking to you at 13 weeks, so I’ve got over the hard bit of it,” he added.

“Unfortunately, these things happen. At the end of the day, it’s only a sore knee. I will be back from it and the plan is to be even better than I was.”

Tuesday week ago, speaking at the Dr McKenna Cup launch, marked 13 weeks to the day since he went under the knife.

“I’m on the mend, I’m getting there, hitting goals every day and every week to get back,” he said, revealing that the medical support team are happy with his progress.

The target is a return in time for the Ulster Championship. There is a bit to go, but Magill is reading from the glass half-full manual. Physically he is where he wants to be. His mindset has followed.

He is indebted to his family and friends. Injury is the loneliest of places, away from group training where bonds are made. He is thankful for his circle of support.

“The Burren boys have been brilliant, the Down boys have been brilliant, and again, we’ve left no stone unturned,” he pointed out.

“You’re not trying to look too far ahead but it’s always good to have a goal in mind.

“We’re trying to smash goals every week. I feel like I can be back for the Ulster Championship.”

If it doesn’t happen, it doesn’t happen and they’ll recalibrate the sights.

“I feel in my own body and my own mind, why not go for the most aggressive timeline and see what happens,” he said.

“Obviously there’s a risk there, but we haven’t skipped any corners yet and we’ll leave no stone unturned. If I’m lining out Down in the Ulster Championship, it’ll be well worth it.”

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Anyone watching Danny Magill in action would have noticed the energy he brought. He was playing with a smile on his face. Listed as a wing back in Dungannon Eoghan Ruadh’s excellent fantasy football competition, his scoring return made him a must-have, just as he was for Conor Laverty.

“I felt on a personal level and as a squad that we were in a really good place,” enthused Magill.

“I was flying in training and I loved it. I loved the new rules, playing at half-back, I loved coming onto the ball at speed.

“I was in a really good place with my kicking; I worked very closely with the management team and the coaches. Before and after training, I was kicking plenty of football.”

Collectively, Down have been making strides but missing out on promotion to Division Two could be costly.

After a taste of life back in the All-Ireland race, where they caught the eye of many, they are not guaranteed Sam Maguire football this season.

In recent Ulster Championships, they’ve pushed eventual All-Ireland champions Armagh all the way and last year’s beaten finalists Donegal.

After shipping a 4-12 to 0-10 Ulster defeat to Armagh in 2023, Conor Laverty and Ciarán Meenagh hatched a plan the players followed to within an inch of an upset against the Orchard County 12 months later.

“That’s tough to take,” Magill said of the 2023 drubbing. “That’ll never leave you. The year after, Armagh win the All-Ireland and they beat you by a point. We’re going down the stretch with these teams but we haven’t got over the line yet, but that’s the plan.

“You’re only as good as your last game, but the plan is to start taking scalps soon enough. One team has to win Ulster. One team has to win the All-Ireland. Why can’t that be Down?”

For now, Down will have to lock their eyes on the McKenna Cup and beyond to a Division Three promotion bid. By then, Magill will hope to be knocking Laverty’s door with his rehab progress and a desire to get back into contention. He knows nothing else only sport and football.

“Micéal Rooney made a good point (speaking before Kilcoo’s Ulster final – football, football, football, that’s all we care about,”

“Especially my family. We’re a very proud footballing family. Everything I do, when I wake up in the morning, all I think about is football. I go to bed at night thinking about football.

“My new job now is as a coaching officer in St Louis Kilkeel. It’s all about football. I’m a football mad. All I want to do is play at the biggest games in front of the biggest crowds.”

Magill lays Down’s target on the table. Playing the Sam Maguire race has given them an appetite for more. Laverty has often spoken about wanting a team the county can be proud of.

A fully fit Danny Magill will be part of what that overall landscape looks like. He is a man only getting started and a knee injury isn’t the stop button; it’s a mere pause for now.