Heary warns Crowe is not washed up yet
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Bohemians captain Owen Heary thinks that Sporting Fingal may have completed the signing of the year in experienced striker Glen Crowe.
The 32-year-old was dealt a cruel blow just before Christmas when Gypsies boss Pat Fenlon informed him that his contract at Dalymount Park would not be renewed.
Even though over 90 per cent of the players who featured in the league last season were forced to deal with similar news, it was a shock that one of the domestic game's most deadly marksmen was told he was not wanted.
Heary admits to being 'stunned' by the club's decision to offload Crowe, but understands that the game needs to keep moving forward with young players eager to make the breakthrough.
Nevertheless, Heary reckons that Crowe is still one of the top strikers in the league and is not one bit surprised that Sporting had to fight off competition from rival clubs to sign him.
"I was stunned when I heard about Glen being released. I still believe that he has two good years left in him in League of Ireland football," Heary told Extra Time.
"From Pat's [Fenlon] perspective, he has to look at the bigger picture and keep his squad fresh. With young lads like Paddy Madden and Marc Hughes coming through, he probably thought that Glen wouldn't play as many games.
"I spoke to him recently and I know that a few clubs were chasing him, which doesn't surprise me as he is still a top class striker.
"He still has a lot to give and I won't fancy coming up against next season as an opposing player. I think he will prove people wrong and come back even stronger."
Crowe turned down offers from other Premier Division clubs in order to seal a deal with the newly-promoted Sporting, who will view the signing of the twice-capped Republic of Ireland international as a major coup.
While he might be short on pace and not as prolific as he once was, Heary thinks that his former team-mate has added other attributes to his game and that is why he was in such high demand.
"If you look at how Glen played for Bohemians over the last two years you will notice a big difference from early on in his career. He adapted his game to suit Jason Byrne and became more of a team player," explained Heary.
"He held up play, made runs down the wings, flicked the ball on and won tons of headers. He can score goals for fun, but Glen showed there was more to his game than just goals.
"His all-round work-rate is superb and his fitness, despite getting stick that he looks overweight, is better than a lot of young lads. He is still a great player and I'm sure he will prove that this season."
The 32-year-old was dealt a cruel blow just before Christmas when Gypsies boss Pat Fenlon informed him that his contract at Dalymount Park would not be renewed.
Even though over 90 per cent of the players who featured in the league last season were forced to deal with similar news, it was a shock that one of the domestic game's most deadly marksmen was told he was not wanted.
Heary admits to being 'stunned' by the club's decision to offload Crowe, but understands that the game needs to keep moving forward with young players eager to make the breakthrough.
Nevertheless, Heary reckons that Crowe is still one of the top strikers in the league and is not one bit surprised that Sporting had to fight off competition from rival clubs to sign him.
"I was stunned when I heard about Glen being released. I still believe that he has two good years left in him in League of Ireland football," Heary told Extra Time.
"From Pat's [Fenlon] perspective, he has to look at the bigger picture and keep his squad fresh. With young lads like Paddy Madden and Marc Hughes coming through, he probably thought that Glen wouldn't play as many games.
"I spoke to him recently and I know that a few clubs were chasing him, which doesn't surprise me as he is still a top class striker.
"He still has a lot to give and I won't fancy coming up against next season as an opposing player. I think he will prove people wrong and come back even stronger."
Crowe turned down offers from other Premier Division clubs in order to seal a deal with the newly-promoted Sporting, who will view the signing of the twice-capped Republic of Ireland international as a major coup.
While he might be short on pace and not as prolific as he once was, Heary thinks that his former team-mate has added other attributes to his game and that is why he was in such high demand.
"If you look at how Glen played for Bohemians over the last two years you will notice a big difference from early on in his career. He adapted his game to suit Jason Byrne and became more of a team player," explained Heary.
"He held up play, made runs down the wings, flicked the ball on and won tons of headers. He can score goals for fun, but Glen showed there was more to his game than just goals.
"His all-round work-rate is superb and his fitness, despite getting stick that he looks overweight, is better than a lot of young lads. He is still a great player and I'm sure he will prove that this season."
About Gareth Maher
Gareth Maher is an award-winning journalist who has covered domestic, international and women's football for the best part of a decade. Previously a columnist for the Irish Daily Mail and Football Editor for Setanta Sports, … View Full Profile