Nathaniel Ferris confident Loughgall star Benji Magee still 'not even near his peak' after scintillating Premiership form

The 21-year-old has scored 15 league goals – a number which can only be bettered by Cliftonville’s Ben Wilson – in a superb maiden campaign at top-flight level.

It has been a sensational rise to stardom for Magee, who joined the Villagers from Ards in the summer of 2022 and spent the first-half of the 2021/22 campaign with Premier Intermediate League outfit PSNI.

Magee netted eight goals in all competitions last season as Dean Smith’s side lifted the Championship title, but has already raced to 21 this term having also bagged five in their run to the Mid-Ulster Cup semi-finals and scored in a 3-0 Irish Cup triumph over Rosemount Rec last month.

The former Glentoran youth product will be looking to further add to that impressive tally on Saturday when Loughgall travel to Cliftonville for an Irish Cup sixth round encounter and Ferris, who himself has scored three goals in his last three starts, feels Magee can get even better.

"It has been great playing alongside him because unlike a lot of players in the league and people I've played alongside, Benji can create a goal out of nothing,” he said. “He's an unbelievable player.

"He's still a kid and has a lot of development to still go through which is scary. He's not even near his peak or anywhere close to how good he can be."

While Magee’s sensational form has came as a surprise to most this season, Ferris was always confident that he’d be able to take the step up to Premiership level in his stride – just maybe not make it look as easy as he has.

"We've always known it (that he has great ability),” he added. “He played against us in a pre-season game before we signed him and he tortured everybody.

"He always had that ability to glide past players but it's his finishing ability that has really came on. He's starting to create more chances and taking more of the chances that are created for him.

"It's a surprise maybe in how unbelievably well he has done but not a surprise at all that his ability is shining through.”

Loughgall have gave their fans some memorable moments in recent times, including Championship glory and beating defending league champions Larne, but Ferris is looking to give them even more cause for celebration by sealing cup progression at Solitude.

"It's a massive game,” he said. “Everybody loves playing in the Irish Cup. We had a run in the Irish Cup a couple of years ago and came up against Cliftonville.

"They are a brilliant team and a lot of people would agree that they're the best footballing side that we've came up against this year...it's not going to be an easy game but the Irish Cup produces shocks and is built for that.

"The fans have been brilliant. To give them the success they've been hoping for over the last 10 years or so has been brilliant. Any time you have a conversation with them they're absolutely loving it because it has been all they've been hoping for and dreaming of.

"An Irish Cup run would be icing on the cake for them. Yes we do it for ourselves too, but the fans are the core of the club and you have to do it for them. I'd love to give them a good day on Saturday."