Sport

Michael McGovern inspires Northern Ireland and Celtic U-21 goalkeeper Conor Hazard

&nbsp;<span style="color: rgb(38, 34, 35); font-family: Arial, Verdana;  font-style: italic; line-height: 23.1px; background-color: rgb(244, 244, 244);">Irish pair Fiacre Kelleher and goalkeeper Conor Hazard hope to be with the Celtic squad at the U-21 SuperCupNI.</span>
 Irish pair Fiacre Kelleher and goalkeeper Conor Hazard hope to be with the Celtic squad at the U-21 Su  Irish pair Fiacre Kelleher and goalkeeper Conor Hazard hope to be with the Celtic squad at the U-21 SuperCupNI.

Rising star Conor Hazard hopes to emulate Northern Ireland hero Michael McGovern on the big stage.

The Celtic teenager, who has impressed with Northern Ireland at under age level, has watched Enniskillen man McGovern, a former Celtic player, cover himself in glory at the Euro 2016 finals in France.

The next step for Hazard is being part of the Glasgow club's squad for the inaugural SuperCupNI U-21 tournament next month, a competition which McGovern graced several times for County Fermanagh, once saving three spot kicks against a West Ham United team in a Junior quarter-final penalty shootout.

Celtic will play Real Sociedad at Ballymena Showgrounds on Thursday, July 21, while Espanyol face Everton at Coleraine Showgrounds the same evening.

Northern Ireland U-19 Hazard, from Downpatrick, has taken a reverse career route from Northern Ireland star Josh Magennis who started out as a goalkeeper and switched to striker. Hazard was a left sided outfield player but stood in for an injured team mate in goal in a game in 2012 and never looked back!

He played for Celtic against Cliftonville in the testimonial for Reds' retiring captain George McMullan at Solitude earlier in the year, a game the Hoops won 3-0.

Several of that team are expected to feature at the SuperCupNI including Republic of Ireland U-17 international Fiacre Kelleher.