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'We all appreciate what Cliftonville means to him' - Jim Magilton on Odhran Casey return
Jim Magilton insists everyone at Cliftonville "appreciates" what the club means to Odhran Casey. The 22-year-old defender made his eagerly anticipated first-team return last weekend, some six months after breaking his leg in the final of the Irish Cup.
Part of Cliftonville's celebrations after beating Linfield back in May included a hospital visit to see their fallen hero, a player who contributed so much to their success last season.
Now Casey is back, it bolsters Magilton's options as he prepares for a hectic festive schedule.
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He said: "We all appreciate what Cliftonville means to Odhran. The players understand that too.
"He is a fantastic character who is maturing all the time, on and off the pitch. I think being an Under 21 international certainly helped with his confidence and belief.
"That transferred quickly onto the pitch. He is an infectious character who is very grounded and level-headed, but he is also very keen to do well.
"And that's an important ingredient for any player. But for one who has sustained an injury like he did, and then to return from that, says a lot about him.
"Time will tell how things work out. He made a cameo performance last week which was made easier by the position we were in during the game.
"But you can tell how confident he was. Some of his passing was fantastic. His pass for Joe's (Gormley) third was an outstanding ball.
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"He did a few fantastic cross-field passes which was brilliant for him."
Magilton insists Cliftonville wil continue to manage Casey's return, but says he has been pleased with the player's attitude to his recovery and lengthy rehabilitation.
"I think Odhran has played three 90 minutes for the Under 20s, so we have managed him quite well. He has also managed himself very well," he said.
"He had a few ups and downs to get back onto the pitch, in terms of the wound healing. Structurally he was fine.
"But those first steps are tentative. Getting him back on the pitch was the same.
"We got an opportunity to bring him on last week and it was great having him back. We will assess Michael Newberry this week, but Odhran may start on Sunday.
"We are very happy with how he's progressed. He was magnificent last year for us and played really well.
"Obviously the Irish Cup final, and the injury and what led to him coming off the pitch, all that drama, it's in the past now. He is is keen to make up for lost time and we're very happy to have him back on the pitch."
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