Callum Brown is a young man with a bright future.
At the start of this year, new Derry manager Damian McErlain included the Limavady club man in his starting team for a McKenna Cup fixture but a stupid GAA rule meant he wasn’t allowed to in the end.
It turns out Brown was too young to play senior inter-county football despite finishing up with the minors last year when he lit up Croke Park with a lightning performance from the bench in the All-Ireland final against Kerry.
But the midfielder-cum-forward put his energies into the under-20 squad and got another Ulster title out of it for his troubles.
Ulster U20 Football Champions 2018. #CandC #GAA 🇦🇹 pic.twitter.com/J62uxEZtvW
— Derry GAA (@Doiregaa) June 24, 2018
Derry bowed out of the All-Ireland series after losing a thriller with Mayo at the semi-final stage on Saturday with the score finishing 2-14 to 2-11.
A masterclass with Paul Lambert helped the westerners into the under-20 decider with Kildare but Derry youngster Callum Brown drew applause from Gaels of both sides when he netted in the first half.
Brown claimed a ball out near the sideline and, with one delicious turn, he brought the Mayo full back to his knees before going by him again. He cut straight in for goal, beat another tackle before pulling a brilliantly clever finish in by the ‘keeper at his near post.
Scór draíochtúil ó Callum Browne do @Doiregaa in aghaidh @MayoGAA sa cluiche leath ceannais @EirGrid faoi 20 inné@GAA_BEO ar @TG4TV @oakleafers pic.twitter.com/DBkxWSSxS4
— Spórt TG4 (@SportTG4) July 15, 2018
It hasn’t been the best few years for Derry GAA with their senior footballers sinking to Division Four status but a host of underage success, including two Ulster titles and final appearances at minor level in the last four years and now the under-20 success is propping up an exciting future.
Limavady native Callum Brown is one of those men that has the county coming together again and, although it wasn’t the result him or his team mates wanted on Saturday, it was another moment that made football fans sit up.
By this showing, he will be fast-tracked into the senior side.
