Joe Gormley targets 300 goals for Cliftonville as striker lands November Player of the Month award
Cliftonville striker Joe Gormley says goal scoring celebrations selected by his four-year-old son Lorcan has brought back similar moments from his deadly partnership with Liam Boyce.
The Reds all-time leading goalscorer was named as the Northern Ireland Football Writers' Player of the Month for November after finding the back of the net on seven occasions, which included hat-tricks against Dungannon Swifts and Loughgall.
Gormley and Boyce formed one of the most lethal striking partnerships in Irish League history that helped Cliftonville secure Gibson Cup triumphs in 2013 and 2014.
Whilst Boyce is now plying his trade at Scottish side Hearts, the evergreen Gormley continues to terrorise Irish League defences, with son Lorcan helping his father choose a goal scoring celebration when he hits the back of the net.
He explained: "Every week my wee lad Lorcan to do a different celebration and that's why you've seen me copying Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe and Viktor Gyökeres.
"He asked me to do the griddy celebration and the Trump dance but I had to tell him I won't be doing the Cristiano Ronaldo one - it's too much for me!
"He's football mad and he's been watching all the celebrations and then saying 'daddy can you do this one?'
"It reminds me of when Liam Boyce and I were playing together and he told me we were going to celebrate like this today.
"He had the goal scored already before we played the match - now my son tells me how to celebrate."
Due to the form of the likes of Ronan Hale, Sam Ashford, Ben Wilson and Ryan Curran in the last two years, Gormley conceded he didn’t play as much football as he would have imagined.
However, he is certainly making up for lost time this season as the 35-year-old has found the back of the net on 14 occasions in all competitions – and has aspirations of continuing his stay at Solitude.
"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,” he reflected.
"When there's boys in the team younger than you and outscoring you, then they deserved 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.
"I feel fit, feel good and I'm playing and 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 was probably going to be my last year but the way I'm playing at the minute, I might deserve another year.”
Gormley is currently on 285 goals for Cliftonville across two spells and he has targeted hitting at least 300.
He remarked: "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 I'll get to 300'.
“I've scored 14 this season and I need another 15 to hit the 300, which I'd be happy with.”