Ryan Donnelly ought to score a big deal for him and for Airdrie

A THREAD currently running on one of the club’s unofficial fan websites is posing the question: Ryan Donnelly – best Airdrie striker since Owen Coyle?

In one sense, the 20-year-old is the most productive striker bar none in the nine-year history of the Lanarkshire club.

A richly-deserving recipient of the Second Division player of the month award for November, he is the first Airdrie player to reach the 20-goals mark in half a season, a figure he reached in only 21 appearances. And he netted twice against Brechin yesterday, taking his tally to 22 from 22 games. Granted, Coyle and many who have led the line for the Broomfield side before and since didn’t get to make merry against defences in Scotland’s third tier. But that should take little away from recent scoring feats of the country’s top scorer, not least because Donnelly sees his team struggling for wins.

“I have surprised myself and a lot of people,” Donnelly said. “I knew from youth level if I got my chance I would score but never thought I could have 20 in 20. Last year I didn’t play a lot but still managed to score five goals, which I thought was alright. If somebody had told me I would be sitting where I am right now, I would have laughed. Folk keep telling me my total is the best in Scotland but I try not to let it get to me.”

Donnelly, five years on the books at Airdrie, started with Drumbeth Boys’ Club who were “doing really well until we hit an age where everyone wanted to go out drinking with their pals”.

“There were [only] about five or six of us that wanted to play, and it left me thinking about chucking it. Then someone got on to me and said ‘you’re too good not to play’. The boys who wanted to play went to a club called Kieran Park and Airdrie picked us up there.”

There is inevitable speculation over what fee could be attracted if a club came in for Donnelly. “I’m not desperate to leave and, if something doesn’t come up, I will keep working hard,” Donnelly said. “If I was going to another team the first question I would ask would be whether I would be involved most weeks because last year it was soul destroying sitting on the bench.