Evan Regan
Evan Regan's burgeoning reputation was further enhanced when he came out on top with a dominant victory in this week's GAA.ie Football Player of the Week vote.
The Ballina Stephenites excelled for Mayo in Sunday's Allianz FL victory over their neigbours Roscommon and was rewarded with 48 per cent of the votes cast on the GAA's Official Twitter (@officialgaa), Facebook and Instagram pages.
That left him well clear of Dublin's Kevin McManamon who barely edged out Clare's Jamie Malone into third place.
GAA.ie FOOTBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
**1.**Evan Regan (Mayo) - 3,186 (48 per cent)
2. Kevin McManamon (Dublin) - 1740 (26.5 per cent)
3. Jamie Malone (Clare) - 1708 (25.5 per cent)
Evan Regan has been touted as a hot-prospect for some time now, but his development was slowed last year when he broke his collar-bone on two separate occasions in a ten-week period. The 22-year-old attacker looked like a man keen to make up for lost time on Sunday when he produced a sparkling performance for Mayo as they beat Roscommon at Hyde Park. He scored 1-3, 1-1 of it from play, and the goal was something really special as he dummied and darted his way past two Roscommon defenders before smashing the ball to the back of the net. Mayo have lacked an accurate, dynamic inside forward like Regan for the last few years, and he could be a vital player for them this summer.
In second place with 26.5 per cent was Dublin's Kevin McManamon. By now McManamon has surely shed his one-time tag of 'super-sub'. The dynamic attacker played 70 minutes for Dublin against Donegal on Saturday night, and was the most influential player on the pitch by a considerable distance. He scored three cracking points, set up Philly McMahon's decisive goal on a plate, and consistently troubled the Donegal defence with his ability to win ball and then use it wisely. Dublin have a wealth of options in attack, but if McManamon can keep up this sort of form then the St. Jude's club-man will surely be a fixture in the starting XV for the Championship.
In third place with 25.5 per cent was Clare's Jamie Malone. He starred for Clare in their highly impressive 1-20 to 1-9 victory over Longford on Sunday that puts them on the brink of promotion from Division 3 of the Allianz Football League. The Corofin club-man scored a remarkable five points from wing-back as he showcased his talent for bombing forward and joining the attack at the most opportune moments. Malone, who captained the Clare minor team in 2012, is a fine talent, a fact recognised when he was called up to the Munster inter-provincial panel in December last year.
Players of the Week are decided based on votes cast by followers of @officialgaa on Twitter, on the Official GAA Facebook Page and on the Official GAA Instagram page
