Joe Gormley feels his goalscoring form this season for Cliftonville might earn him another contract at his beloved Solitude, but he pours cold water on Red hopes of a reunion with Liam Boyce.
Gormley (35) is today unveiled as the Sports Direct Premiership Player of the Month for November as he proves he still has a golden touch in front of goal.
The Ardoyne man scored eight goals in the month, including hat-tricks against Dungannon Swifts and Loughgall, and took his tally for the season to fourteen with the opening goal at Inver Park last Sunday.
With former strike partner Liam Boyce seeing his gametime limited at Hearts this season, there was speculation that the Falls Road man might return to North Belfast, where he won two league titles alongside Gormley.
‘Joe The Goal’ says he is revelling in his new lease of life this season but warns Cliftonville fans not to get too excited about a return of one of the most feared strike forces in Irish League history.
“I haven’t spoken to Liam in a long time but I hear his family are well settled in Edinburgh”, said Gormley.
“Could I see him coming back? I don’t know.
“I haven’t spoken to him but I don’t think he will.
“This was probably going to be my last year but the way I’m playing at the minute, I might deserve another year.
“I’ve scored 14 goals this season, I feel fit, feel good, I’m playing and I’m enjoying it which is the main thing.
“Jim (Magilton) has trusted me to lead the line and as long as I continue to lead the line, then I’ll be trying my best.
“It’s probably the fittest I’ve been in the last two to three years because I wasn’t playing at that time, whereas now I’m playing and running a lot more.
“I got the chance at the start of the season when the other lads left and I’ve kept my name in the team.”
The ‘other lads’ are Ronan Hale, Ben Wilson and Sam Ashord, three Cliftonville strikers who limited Gormley’s minutes on the pitch last season before leaving over the summer.
Gormley admits it was a difficult time for him but believes he now has a chance of reaching a milestone he never thought would happen.
“It was tough as you know when you are coming to the end of your career that you want to play as much as you can.
“When there’s boys in the team younger than you and outscoring you, then they deserve their chance to play ahead of me.
“I think it’s tough going for a striker as they need a good run of games and I think this year when you see the run of games I’ve had and I’m scoring goals.
“This year I always had it in the back of my mind that this was going to be my last season.
“I only scored 13 goals last season heading into this one and I thought ‘no chance will I get to 300′.
“I thought it was my last year but I’ve scored 14 this season and I need 15 to hit the 300, which I’d be happy with.
“I know without a doubt with my ability that I’ll score goals wherever I play.
“Last year Ronan Hale would pop up by making a goal out of nothing as he could score from anywhere, whereas I depend more on the boys around me.
“I thrive on people supplying me with chances to score goals.”
