A simple look at the honours that the affable Sligo man has won during his career, he has won honours at every single senior club, is proof enough that he didn't join Harps to settle for second best. He started out at Galway United, in the 1992/93 season under Tony Mannion and they won the First Division title and First Division Shield that season. The following season despite Galway's elevation to the Premier League, he opted to join his hometown club in the First Division, the freshly relegated Sligo Rovers.

The Bit O' Red had just appointed Scot Willie McStay as their new manager, and could not have foreseen the success he was to be in his debut season, leading the side to an unprecedented treble. First Division Title. First Division Shield and the highlight of Johnny's career to date the FAI Cup Final win over Derry City. Johnny also took the acclaim of the fans in the Showgrounds being awarded the coveted 'Player of the Season' trophy at the end of the season.

After three seasons at the Showgrounds Johnny decided to change the scenery and switched to the Irish League. There he signed for former Linfield man Trevor Anderson. who was in charge at Newry Town. The winning ways continued in the North for the Riverstown man, when Newry won the Irish League First Division title, to add to his two wins in the South.

While he has picked up some silverware with Harps, "in a competition that I had never heard of before" he laughs, "I would love to get promotion this year" he continues on "We have the squad, a better squad than last year, and I would just love to get promoted with Harps " Johnny adds further "we were so unlucky last year against Longford in the play-off game."

I actually watched the video of the Longford game a couple of weeks ago, and couldn't believe the amount and quality of the chances that we had to win the game. I knew that we had done well at the time, but watching the video realty brought it home to me."

Although Johnny is a former favourite, his local senior club Sligo Rovers will not allow him to train with them, instead he trains with his local junior side Ballygally and he is very grateful to the club and in particular their manager Thomas Walsh for allowing him to do so. As Johnny resides in Sligo along with his wife Grainne and their eight month old son Patrick, he travels alone to most games "When I first signed for Harps, both Gavin Dykes and Jamesy Mulligan were also making the journey so we travelled together but now the only one left is me."

Mention of his young son. and Johnny naturally hopes that his son follows in his footsteps and plays for Harps "To be honest with you I have been slagging Paddy McGrenaghan. that we have another "Paddy Rivaldo" on our hands, and he will have to give up the title."

Talk then turns to the players who he has played alongside and against and throws up a couple of names. The first who Johnny says of "the best player that I played with he was a class act", graced Finn Park in two separate spells was Paul "Ski" McGee at Galway United. "He was very gifted, not only was he able to hold the ball up and bring others into the play he could also score goals." Of the current players he plumps for Kevin McHugh, of whom he says "can score goals out of nothing. He is lethal in and around the box."

When asked was there anyone he disliked playing against, he replies in the negative and says there was no one he was unduly worried to face. He then adds that his battles with the former Dundalk full back Martin Lawlor were always good. One other player that has to him over his career was Gary Peebles who he played alongside at Newry Town. " Gary was one of those players who always did the simple things and did them right. He knew to play the ball to bring others in yet at the same time, if you him to win the ball, he would be scrapping away for it. The player you would love to your side."

Johnny realises Harps hopes of promotion will not be achieved if they have any more results similar to the one against Dundalk just over a week ago, simply saying the performance was "abysmal, we didn't t play at all. He does point out that the defence has improved immensely this season pointing to the return of Declan Boyle as the key factor "Declan is playing well as he did for Sligo during that 1993/94 season, the season got him his dream move to Glasgow Celtic."

Reports of Johnny's impending retirement at the end of last were premature. He was one of three players named Harps in the First Division team, voted by their fellow players, and his only focus this season is promotion, he is reticent about the future only saying "We'll have to wait and see. it all depends on whether or not we get promotion and then whether or not these legs will go on much longer."

Harps fans can only hope that the legs of the "Riverstown Flyer", are seen in action for so come at Finn Park.