ALL-STAR TYRONE goalkeeper Niall Morgan has insisted he wasn’t being selfish when he pleaded with officials not to stop goalies from attacking.

The experienced netminder says he’s satisfied with the latest rules tweak which has allowed adventurous goalkeepers like him to keep on creating and scoring.

The GAA last week rubber stamped a proposal by the Football Review Committee to prevent teams from creating 12-v-11 overloads in the opposition’s half by bringing their goalkeepers forward.

The new directive, that if a goalkeeper does go forward then an outfield player must drop back, prompted most counties to keep their ‘keepers on the goal line in last weekend’s NFL games, though Morgan and Monaghan’s Rory Beggan notably still joined in attacks.

Morgan even scored a point from play in Tyrone’s defeat of Donegal while Beggan created a number of points for Monaghan who steamrolled Meath in Division 2.

Morgan had previously stated last month that any move to ban goalkeepers from attacking entirely would strip ‘any enjoyment out of playing for him’ and could even prompt some goalies to retire.

Some critics had described this as selfish though Morgan stated at the launch of the John West Feile 2025 that this was completely wrong.

“That’s the frustrating thing, it wasn’t the case,” said Morgan, who was aware of being labeled selfish.

“What I had said was completely taken out of context. That, I suppose, was the disappointing thing because you don’t want to be targeted as an individual. That’s not what you’re here for.

“You’re here for the betterment of the game and you’re hoping that that’s what you’re doing and you want to be a role model for younger people to also want to be a goalkeeper, not just play outfield.

It just seems to be at the minute that it’s all about…like, it is about trying to make the game more entertaining and it’s not entertaining if you tell certain people that they can’t do certain things on the pitch.

Morgan said the middle ground that the GAA has now hit upon, allowing keepers to keep going forward as long as teams keep four players back, is satisfactory.

“We seen at the weekend that with a lot of teams, the keeper did just stay back – I didn’t!” he smiled.

“I suppose it’s just about trying to find ways of making it work. I’m just glad they didn’t say altogether that you have to stay back. Like, some people are saying the keeper should just have to stay in his half but then you’re not allowed to receive the ball in your own half so that doesn’t work out either.

“I think it will just be a case of rotating who stays back. I didn’t go forward as much at the weekend as I had been previously. There were still plenty of opportunities for boys who maybe had went on two or three runs and needed a break, that’s probably going to be the workaround on it, that you’re basically rotating who goes and who stays.”

Niall Morgan was speaking at the launch of the John West Féile 2025. David Fitzgerald / Sportsfile David Fitzgerald / Sportsfile / Sportsfile

Morgan rejected the suggestion that established roving goalkeepers like himself, Beggan and Armagh’s Ethan Rafferty have been left in a difficult position.

“No, look, as I say, I was always going to be happy as long as they didn’t say that you just out and out can’t leave your line,” said 2021 All-Ireland winner Morgan.

“I think that was sort of where I was on it. Now you just have to probably put more time and effort into thinking when to go, rather than just going all the time.

I’ve said before, I’m all for changes if it progresses the game and makes it more exciting for people to watch. I just didn’t want them to decide that in a particular position that you weren’t allowed to do something on the pitch.

Meanwhile, in his position as co-chair of the Gaelic Players Association, Morgan expressed solidarity with the Antrim footballers in their quest to play their Ulster SFC tie against Armagh at Corrigan Park and called for a speedy resolution.

The Ulster Council has pencilled in the April 12 tie for Newry, due to capacity concerns.

“It’s probably running out of time, what is it, three weeks to the game, four weeks maybe?” said Morgan. “The players are now sitting thinking, if Antrim play this weekend in the league, is that their season over because they are not allowed to play in the Tailteann Cup if they don’t fulfil their fixture in Ulster?

I just think it’s totally unfair what’s happened and I’m full of admiration for Antrim that they’re sticking their heels in and not budging on it.