Peter Canavan played county football from 1989-2005 and just stands out ahead of some other outstanding footballers. Gooch, Tohill, Joyce, Giles, O'Se, all run him close.

Byanthon (Tyrone) - Posts: 1792 - 19/02/2011 16:36:24    871434

Aesthetically pleasing leaves a choice probably between Fitzgerald, always remembered for a sideline point against Dublin, and McDonald of Mayo, always forgotten for possibly two better points against Kerry in the 2004 all Ireland.

As a player, I would take Canavan. many of you forget he was in his twilight years in 2003 and 05. Ye should have seen him at his peak in the mid 1990s.

patrique (Antrim) - Posts: 13709 - 19/02/2011 16:51:35    871443

darragh ó sé peter canavan

banterladhi (Donegal) - Posts: 502 - 19/02/2011 17:31:17    871467

Graham Geraghty- I could watch him all day

Royal_Girl2k9 (Meath) - Posts: 2107 - 19/02/2011 19:13:58    871527

I still think Matty Forde was the best, on his day that was. Unfortunately 'his day' wasnt't as often as it should have been.
The usual suspects Canavan, Fitzgerald, Joyce, Linden, Coulter & Cooper all feature too, as they should.

Paul Barden also deserves a mention i think. Fantastic player. And even the often maligned Paddy Bradley. Eamonn O'Hara too surely for his longevity and sheer work-rate.

Ask again in another 2 or 3 years and I think we'll also be able to add Bernard Brogan to that list.

OffalyBigBall (Offaly) - Posts: 635 - 19/02/2011 19:18:15    871530

Matty Forde ,Declan Browne, Peter Canavan and Ja Fallon . Players like Paddy Bradley ,Frankie Dolan and Beano McDonald could have been great but injuries and inconsistent form hampered there progress in my opinion.

Rossy (UK) - Posts: 86 - 19/02/2011 19:43:03    871544

Michael Donnelan in 98 was fantastic to watch and thats coming from a Kildare man!

sashman (Kildare) - Posts: 465 - 19/02/2011 19:57:58    871553

for me anyway the players i like watching are ther ones who look like they have all the time in the world when on the ball and can make everything look so simple even though when you try it yourself you realise is harder than it looks.its mostly kerry players that fit that criteria like declan o sullivan or marc and tomas o se. back in the day maurice fitz epitomised that type of player..the same way scholes does in soccer or o'sullivan in snooker..when they are on top of their game its unreal how they make it look so easy. honourable mention to michael donnellan and from many years ago Dermot Earley Snr. never seen him play up until he passed away but he was a phenomenal player.

howshecuttin (Longford) - Posts: 376 - 19/02/2011 21:40:13    871641

Would have to be Trevor Giles or Ciaran MacDonald for me.

A lot of names mentioned have been fantastic as scoring machines, but IMO Giles in particular was just the perfect footballer. Everything he did just seemed so graceful and textbook, though obviously I'm a bit biased.

boynesider1 (Meath) - Posts: 84 - 19/02/2011 21:42:08    871644

Declan Browne at his peak was unplayable. Anthony Lynch and Seamus Moynihan would agree I'm sure.

LondonOranges (Tipperary) - Posts: 45 - 20/02/2011 11:04:42    871696

Dara O Se
Peter Canavan
Pradaig Joyce
Francie Bellew
Stevie Mc Donnell
Probably would have had Ronan Clarke on it only for injury

Blue and Black (Monaghan) - Posts: 187 - 20/02/2011 12:03:04    871731

Don't care what anyone says, Mattie Forde was the Best player to watch on a Football pitch.. Absolute Natural on the ball.

gaelic_life (Down) - Posts: 286 - 20/02/2011 13:30:32    871780

has to be the o se brothers All of them class acts

samfighter98 (Galway) - Posts: 8 - 20/02/2011 15:58:10    871867

If the best player is to decided over the past 20 years then who else could it be apart from Peter Canavan as he was there for most of that time. He could score off each foot, turn and beat opponents twice his size, take hits, give them out and provide great entertainment. He was often worth the admission fee on his own and carried Tyrone for a good part of his time there. His goal in the 2005 final was superb, as classy as you will get. Dara O'Se was another brilliant player as is the Gooch and Stephen O'Neill. Sean Cavanagh, Paudric Joyce, Mickey Linden, Trever Giles are other honourable mentions.

Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9818 - 20/02/2011 16:14:10    871878

patrique
County: Antrim
Posts: 11732

871443 Aesthetically pleasing leaves a choice probably between Fitzgerald, always remembered for a sideline point against Dublin, and McDonald of Mayo, always forgotten for possibly two better points against Kerry in the 2004 all Ireland.

As a player, I would take Canavan. many of you forget he was in his twilight years in 2003 and 05. Ye should have seen him at his peak in the mid 1990s.

I Could name at least 3 Ulster players that were way better than Canavan and not as dirty either.......Martin McHugh...Greg Blaney.. Mickey Linden..
Canavan at his best wouldnt lace any of these 3s boots at their best...

richiej (UK) - Posts: 1430 - 20/02/2011 18:22:23    871965

Like many people, Maurice Fitz and Ciaran Mac. Both Footballing geniuses.

Tongo (UK) - Posts: 1795 - 20/02/2011 19:56:20    872037

give oul brian dooher a shout

dubbydave. (Dublin) - Posts: 3927 - 20/02/2011 20:18:10    872064

18/02/2011 17:09:51
fbpurist
County: Down
Posts: 1

870907
Who was the most aesthetically pleasing footballer to watch in the last 20 years?


That is the FIRST sentence in the thread.

and some have Francie bellew? Might have been ok as a player but aesthetically pleasing?

That first sentence rules out large numbers of players.

As for Peter Canavan, I have watched Gaelic football for 50 years and he was better than most, with very few peers. Pat Spillane was probably better as a player, but not too many others.

martin McHugh, grand wee player, Linden, bit of a Joe Brolley, and Blaney was a play maker without the fielding ability of some current play makers, born some 100 yards from Greg's dentistry practice.

All good players, but I am very careful with the word "great". Canavan was great.

patrique (Antrim) - Posts: 13709 - 20/02/2011 20:21:35    872068

Agree with Patrique, there's been some peculiar suggestions on this thread.

Galvin, Bellow, Dooher, Whelan, Dara O'Se, Corkery, Tohill, Joe Brolly, fine individual players all of them but for entertainment factor, they all score very low.

The thread asks for footballers who's talents were pleasing on the eye and immediately, Maurice Fitz and Ciaran McDonald spring to mind. Both as elegant and as technically gifted a footballer as has ever been. The two of them had wonderful poise and composure when in possession, both had deadly clean strikes too, and better still the vision of an hawk and the ability to deliver that death-defying pass/score. Maurice was majestic off either foot too.

Others; well Joyce is still a joy to watch and Trevor Giles who pioneered the quarterback role deserves a mention, as does Marty Clarke who looks like becoming Giles' heir in that particular department. And some backs, well Seamus Moynihan, Darren Fay, Tomas O'Se and Paul Curran were all very techincally gifted but could execute the skills of a defender with a special beauty too.

Loyal2TheRoyal (Meath) - Posts: 4522 - 20/02/2011 20:45:46    872107

michael donnellan the greatest player of all time,only for him i would never have seen galway win an all ireland,his display in the final against kildare in 98 was the best individual performance i have ever seen,he won that one on his own and he was the main man when we went on our great run through the back door in 01 to win the all ireland

galwayfootball1 (Galway) - Posts: 252 - 20/02/2011 20:45:51    872109