Glentoran's Daryl Fordyce celebrates one of the goals which helped earn him the player of the month award for August

By Lyle Jackson BBC Sport NI

The judging committee for the Carling player of the month must have taken about five seconds to reach a decision.

Instant and unanimous - the stand out Premiership performer for August just had to be Glentoran's Daryl Fordyce.

The 23-year-old, who moved from midfield to a more attacking role at the start of the season, bagged eight goals during the month - the total he managed for the whole of last season.

For Fordyce, recent success has rekindled notions that he still might have a future at a higher level in England.

As a teenager he spent a few years at Portsmouth, and had a loan spell with Bournemouth, but then came back to Northern Ireland where Glentoran won the race for his signature in 2007.

"It is still a dream to play across the water. I am starting to mature and fill out and I am still only 23," said Fordyce at the NI Football Writers' Association's awards ceremony.

"I feel I have the ability so I will just keep working hard and maybe something will come up."

Fordyce, from Belfast's Sandy Row area, homeland of Glentoran's cross-city rivals Linfield, was put on the transfer list along with several other established Glens stars at the end of last season.

He described it as the lowest point of his career but, although he spoke to several clubs, he did not really come close to packing his bags at the Oval.

"I had a heart to heart with manager Scott Young and told him I wanted to stay," added Fordyce.

Daryl Fordyce has played for Northern Ireland from U-16 up to U-23 level

"It was his assistant Pete Batey who suggested I be given a go up front and that has been proved right. Things are going well, I want to keep progressing."

Of course, Glentoran's eyecatching blast from the blocks in the Premiership has prompted pundits to reassess their chances of regaining the title.

Fans at the Oval may not have had great expectations at the start of term, given the east Belfast club's reported financial problems and the departure of a string of key players like Keith Gillespie, Michael Halliday and Kyle Neill.

Now, however, the encouraging start has quickly sent the doom and gloom merchants running for cover.

Big tests have yet to come for Young's side. Injuries and suspensions will lie ahead, along with juicy contests with current champions Linfield.

For the Glens and Fordyce, though, second place to the Blues is not a palatable option.

"If we do not win the league there is a sense of failure. Every year we set out to be champions."

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