Now, we know what Gordon Strachan meant. Strachan was the man who brought Paddy McCourt to Celtic for £200,000 in 2008 from Derry City.
By Chris McNulty at Finn Park. Pictures by North West News Pix
Two years ago, Strachan reflected on McCourt – often seen a frustrating player who could be regarded as a ‘luxury’ – as being ‘as gifted a footballer as I have ever seen’.
Strachan has always been a master of the one-liner and the exaggeration – but he was on the money about McCourt.
Even in the early stages of his Finn Harps career, it is plainly obvious that McCourt is a class apart in the Harps squad, with a first touch that is surely unrivalled in the League.
“I have got to say, watching Paddy is one of the best things in football. He gave me much more pleasure than a lot of others have done, just to watch him play.
“Some players can see a pass, but not dribble. Others can dribble, but not see a pass. Paddy can do both.”
And what a pass that was tonight, in the 28th minute, he gave to Sean Houston to fire Harps ahead against Galway United.
McCourt was stationary, well out from the penalty box when Ciaran O’Connor handed him possession.
It was effortless, the first touch and a pass that few others could have made to create the chance for Houston.
McCourt made his first start in Harps colours tonight and didn’t disappoint – although the sight of him leaving injured in the 59th minute was a worry with manager Ollie Horgan noting that the Derryman will ‘struggle’ to be fit for Monday’s trip to St Patrick’s Athletic.
McCourt, for the little bit less than an hour that he was on, was Harps’ best performer tonight.
Playing off striker O’Connor, McCourt glided the ball around Finn Park as if he was merely stroking about in his back garden (mind you, his lawn in Fahan was probably in a more playable state than a pitch described by Kevin Devaney, the Galway player, as ‘horrendous’).
In the 13th minute, McCourt – who had good flashes in substitute appearances against Cork and Bray – showed clever thinking with a sharply-taken corner to tee up Caolan McAleer, who saw a shot blocked.
The ‘Derry Pele’ clearly excites fans and while Harps have yet to see one of those trademark dribbles, there has been plenty for them to be pleased with from their new recruit.
McCourt provided the assist for another McAleer chance; this one saved by Conor Winn, and a couple of majestic diagonals to O’Connor and Dsane caught the eye.
His role in the Harps goal cannot be underestimated. No other player would have had the capability to do what he did.
And any notions of McCourt being a luxury were dispelled as he even tracked back to, twice, thwart Galway with timely interventions to cut out Alex Byrne in the first half and Devaney in the second.
“Paddy did well and he did well defensively too, to be fair to him,” Horgan said.
“Paddy is quality, no doubt about it. If you take Paddy out of it there isn’t a huge amount of difference in the rest of them. “
Strachan was right: It’s already feeling like a pleasure to watch his class at Finn Park.
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