FAI Cup Final hero Darragh Burns: It was the best feeling of my life!

The Meath man was part of the 2021 FAI Cup winning team with St Pat’s; he played a major role in Grimsby Town's famous Carabao Cup second round win over Man United last year, but he ranks scoring in the cup final for Derry as the best moment in his career so far.

That 69th minute strike into the bottom corner of the Waterford net etched his name in the club's history books, securing a seventh FAI Cup Final success for the Brandywell club.

It was certainly an unforgettable experience for the winger who celebrated in front of the packed North Stand housing the Derry fans. "The fans are unbelievable," he beamed. "It was a bit of a whirlwind. If you were to bottle that feeling up it would be worth millions. It's probably the best feeling in my life.

"Probably the biggest goal I've ever scored. All my family there, all my friends, just unbelievable and such a proud day to score that goal in front of them and to score at the Aviva. It's a stadium I've been going to as a kid for all the cup finals and all the Ireland games. So to get my first goal there for Derry is one I wont forget."

Burns joined from the League Two outfit in the summer and it's been a whirlwind four months on Foyleside for the former St Pat's and Shamrock Rovers man who had two years remaining on his contract before Mark Connolly called to persuade him to return to Ireland for a third spell in the league. He admits he was getting grief from his teammates for failing to score during the weeks leading up to the final but it was all made worthwhile as he scored his first goal in 18 matches on the biggest stage. "I pride myself on goals and assists and when you join a new club you probably want to get off the mark early. For one reason or another it didn't come. I was starting to get in my own head and I had to calm myself down the last couple of games.

"I chipped in with assists but you want to hit the back of the net yourself. You can't get too worked up about it. You have to stay calm. I'm just happy I scored on the big stage. "I don't think I was putting too much pressure on myself until the lads in the dressing room started giving me stick. It started becoming a joke in the dressing room that I hadn't scored my first goal."

Derry interim boss Connolly admitted he was preparing to sub Burns for Kevin Dos Santos moments before his winning goal. The Portuguese-born winger was warming up on the sidelines and it didn't go unnoticed on the pitch.

"The players have been great with me since I've come in. I obviously seen Kev getting warmed up and I was thinking 'I can't let this go on to 18 games' [without a goal]. I'm delighted I got off the mark."

He drifted in from the right flank, got away from Benny Couto, moved onto his left foot, and fired through Evan McLaughlin's legs into the bottom corner - a reverse shot he's been practising alongside first team coach Niall McGinn in training. "Mickey [Duffy] has the ball near the edge of the box and I'm out wide," he recalled. "I hadn't had one shot in the cup final and thought I can't come off the pitch without having a shot. So there was no way I was passing that ball,” he laughed.

"I went on the right foot to whip in a few balls early in the game and thought I deserve a shot myself. I just got at him and I think the keeper thought I was going to whip it into the far corner and I actually practised the reverse a lot with Niall McGinn nearly every day in training. When I saw it hit the back of the net I just thought, where will I celebrate, which corner will I celebrate in."

Those celebrations haven't stopped since and he's looking forward to getting away with the rest of the squad in the coming days for a well-earned end of season holiday. "It's been a mad few days celebrating. It's been unbelievable. The day itself is probably the best day in Irish football.

"We got back up to Derry for the celebrations late on Sunday night. It's not every day you win the FAI Cup, so the celebrations were definitely deserved."

Burns will be hoping to kick on under the new manager when the players return for preseason next month, safe in the knowledge that he will be 'loved forever' by City fans for scoring the winning goal in the cup final.

"A Cup Final winner, nobody can ever take that away from me now," he smiled. "I've been told the fans will love me forever up here after that goal.

"I've been doing well but obviously goals create headlines and I haven't been hitting the back of the net. I'm over the moon and nobody can take it away from me."

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