Young Sports Stars of the Year Award winner No. 24: Darragh Reilly

We return to soccer for the next Merit Award winner in our list of Young Sports Stars of the Year Awards recipients.

Former Castlebar Celtic Youths player Darragh Reilly, now with Sligo Rovers, certainly made an impression on Irish Under 15 head coach Jason Donoghue last year.

Reilly and his Irish team-mates enjoyed their first taste of international football in November when they travelled to Poland for two tests against the hosts.

The Castlebar man played the entire first game, which resulted in 1-0 victory for Ireland, and captained the team in the second match, which was won 4-2 by Poland.

Two games, one win, one defeat and plenty of game time for the playing personnel left Donoghue pleased with the two-game series. "It's a huge stepping stone for these players in their careers," he said.

Reilly, who kept his place in the Irish squad for an international development tournament in Spain early this year, is surely one to watch for the future.