Chris Malseed going out on a high with Player of the Year award
In what the Letterkenny Rovers man expects to be his last season, the Player of the Year award was a fitting end to a stellar career
It was a fitting end to a brilliant season for Letterkenny Rovers captain Chris Malseed, as he picked up the Brian McCormick Premier Division Player of the Year award.
Injuries ended his season early as he missed out on the Brian McCormick Cup triumph, but ending the year with three medals in the pocket and a Player of the Year award made it a more than worthwhile season.
“It was a bit of a surprise,” Malseed said on winning the award at Friday's presentation night.
“We sat at the table and I saw a few eyes looking at me, so they must have seen it before me, but I was looking at the winners of the leagues and I saw my name and I was speechless.
“We have a team full of quality players and that award could have went to any of 15 players that played their part this year.”
An unbeaten Premier Division season along with success in the Brian McCormick Cup and Ulster Cup will go down in history for the club and Malseed will be going out on a high.
“We haven’t had success like this in a long time, we’ve won leagues and cups before and we did a double last year.
“But this year, to win the treble is unprecedented and it’s icing on the cake, it’s probably my last time lifting a trophy for Letterkenny Rovers and it’s a bit of a bittersweet moment.”
It’s 22 years since Malseed made his Letterkenny Rovers first team debut and while he had spells away between college and years with Drumoghill and Finn Harps, Leckview Park has been his home.
But there are still thoughts of how the club can push on, with a defeat to Mervue United in the FAI Junior Cup being the only downside to an incredible year.
“We have still spoke about it tonight, we’re here lifting three trophies but we’re still disappointed about one.
“The players that are there, myself and Keith Cowan are telling them that there is an FAI Junior Cup in them.
“I’ll not be involved but I’ll be the biggest supporter Rovers will have and I’m hoping somebody in this club will get to lift that trophy in the near future.”