Damien Comer has hailed the return of Sean Armstrong to the Galway senior football ranks, calling the Salthill-Knocknacarra man "a clinical forward" that would boost the Tribesmen's firepower.
Armstrong was regarded as one of Galway's key attackers for almost a decade after scoring a hat-trick in the county's All-Ireland U-21 final success of 2005.
He won senior Connacht titles that year and in 2008 but retired from inter-county football in 2014 at just 28, saying he had lost his love for the game and that he felt harshly treated after a lack of game-time that summer.
Armstrong has been in fine form for his club however, scoring 0-6 (2f) in their county final loss to Corofin, and now manager Kevin Walsh has enticed him back into the fold.
Comer, who has himself emerged as a star forward, can't wait to play alongside him as Galway look to build on last season's Connacht title success.
"It is great to see him back," the NUIG student told RTÉ Sport at this year's Sigerson and Fitzgibbon Cup draws.
"He is a clinical forward, it’s maybe another aspect to our game that we need.
"With the experience of ‘Army coming back, that’s going to be a big boost because he had a great year with this club."
Armstrong will turn 31 in March but 22-year-old Comer believes the veteran still has the desire to play at the highest level.
“With his mentality I don’t think it will be a problem to him. He has been around the block now. He knows the ins and outs of the county set-up and he’s experienced it.
"It will be getting used to Kevin and his systems and his tactics, that’s going to be the biggest change for him probably.
"Other than that, I think he’s well equipped the way the county set up is run. Obviously the break might have given him the bit of hunger that he wanted to get back in this year."
Defender Johnny Duane, who captained New York against Roscommon during his year away, is also back, and the return of the duo, allied to Corofin's progress to the All-Ireland club semi-finals make Comer optimistic for next season.
“WIth Johnny (Duane) back from the states, and the positive winning mentality of the Corofin boys when they rejoin the panel as well, it’s going to be big going forward," he said.
"Hopefully it’s going to be worth a big push next year.
“They (the Corofin players) will come back in, in their own time. They are training away hard with Corofin at the moment and showing the face at training as well, so it will be a boost then when they join the panel properly training.
"They are flying it at the moment so you can take great encouragement from them as well.”
