Andy Lyons admits he has surprised himself with his blistering form for Shamrock Rovers.
The flying wing-back has been a revelation since joining from arch rivals Bohemians over the winter, scoring a stunning eight goals in all competitions to date.
Blackpool were put on red alert by that scintillating run and the 22-year-old is joining the Championship side in January.
And ahead of Thursday’s Europa Conference League group stage opener against Djurgardens, he has also won SSE Airtricity / SWI ‘Player of the Month’ for August.
Lyons said today: “You want to believe in your own ability, but how well it has gone has surprised me a bit.
“It's been a bit of a transition: the position, the full-time football as opposed to last year, is a lot different. But I'm loving every minute of it and long may it continue.
“European group stages this week, and that's another reason why I joined the club. There's still a lot of games to play this season, and I am really looking forward to them.”
Lyons was predominantly a right-back at Bohs but has turned heads as a left wing-back for the Hoops.
“I always thought the right wing-back would suit me down to the ground,” he said.
“Then at Derry in the second game of the season, Neil Farrugia and Sean Kavanagh were injured, and I came on thinking it would be for the last half-hour of the game.
“I did well and since then it has stuck. It was more by chance than anything else. It wasn't an organised discussion we had at the start of the season.
“But as the months have gone on I've got help from the coaches and the gaffer to be as good as I can in the position.”
Lyons is the first Shamrock Rovers player to win the monthly award this season and beat team-mates Rory Gaffney and Alan Mannus into second and third respectively.
“There's been a lot of games this month so to come out with the award is brilliant. It's been a good season,” he added.
“It's a great individual recognition, and it's testament to the team's performances.
“It was a great month for us collectively, more so in Europe, as there weren't many league games, but to get recognised is brilliant.”
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