Brian Roper (Donegal) and Seamus Prendergast (Waterford) have been honoured with the first Opel Gaelic Player of the Month Awards for 2007 in Football and Hurling respectively. Their selection is a fitting tribute to the victories of their respective counties, Donegal and Waterford in the National Football and Hurling League Finals. With Donegal winning their first ever league title, it was no surprise that one of their outstanding performers - Brian Roper - was voted Footballer of the Month for April and new chairman of the football selection committee, Jack O'Connor, saluted the contribution of the long-serving forward. "Brian was a bundle of energy throughout the campaign and he was hugely influential in laying the foundation for the team's success over Mayo in the final," said O'Connor. "Brian is a real team player who is always willing to sacrifice his own game for the good of the team and on this occasion we saw that selfless side plus his ability to get scores. He fired over three valuable points from play in the first half and when the game was there to be won late on, he put his body on the line in the dramatic closing stages - a deserving winner for a loyal servant of Donegal football," added O'Connor. Chairman of the hurling selection committee, Donal O'Grady, was loud in his praise for the effort put in by Seamus Prendergast and his Deise colleagues. "Waterford were a breath of fresh air in the league with the way they went about their business and Seamus Prendergast was at the core of their infectious enthusiasm," O'Grady remarked. "In the league semi-final against Cork, Seamus proved a handful in their rotating forward division. He was the same in the final against Kilkenny, in which he hit three points from play. What was particularly noticeable was the way he knuckled down to the task when the going got tough in the closing minutes. The steely resolve in which he fired over the clinching point in injury-time smacked of a man on a mission." Dessie Farrell, Chief Executive of the GPA, said "The victories of Donegal and Waterford in the national leagues were hugely exciting for both counties and helped boost the profile of the competitions. As both have suffered their fair share of defeats recently, I'm delighted to see Brian and Seamus honoured for their contributions in winning a national title." Commenting on the announcement, Dave Sheeran, Managing Director, Opel Ireland, said, "It is fantastic to see our first Opel Gaelic Player of the Month awards for 2007 go to two such deserving winners. I'm absolutely delighted to reward Donegal's Brian Roper and Waterford's Seamus Prendergast for their efforts in helping their respective counties win the 2007 National League titles. I wish them and their counties the very best of luck for the upcoming Championship season." Tweet

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