Mickey Harte believes Derry midfielder Conor Glass is one of the few players who has gone Down Under to play Aussie rules and subsequently returned home to "excel" at Gaelic football.
Glass was a key player for Derry on Sunday as they defeated Donegal by two points after extra-time to win their first Ulster senior football title in 24 years.
The Watty Grahams player spent four-and-a-half years with Hawthorn, playing 21 times, before he returned to Ireland in the autumn of 2020.
"Before he went to that other game, he was touted as one of the great young players," Harte said during BBC Northern Ireland's coverage of the Ulster final.
"It's a pity they lost him for a few years. He's one of the very few that's come back, and has excelled at Gaelic football again. I know Conor McKenna has done well for himself too. The majority of players who go out there to play that game don't come back and be better Gaelic footballers - he has.
"Him and Brendan Rogers work well together. They both have the legs to keep going, and they've obviously built a good relationship."
Peter Canavan added: "He does so many things that are unseen - his chasing back, his tackling, and giving the simple pass. He's an unsung hero, but a vital cog in this Derry machine."
One man whose praises were certainly sung on Sunday was Brendan Rogers. The Derry fullback was inspirational, scoring three points, along with marking Donegal's talisman Michael Murphy.
"You've heard the term often enough about 'hammering the hammer'," said Canavan.
"Michael Murphy, the spiritual leader of Donegal, well Rory Gallagher admitted that they targeted Murphy in that they wanted to put him on the back foot.
"There was nobody better in Derry to do that than Brendan Rogers. Three points from fullback, marking Murphy. Absolutely [he's one of the fittest men in Derry]. He was going as strong at the end."
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