Coleraine boss Marty was relaxing at home on Wednesday evening when he got a phone call from his Newry City counterpart Gerry.

"You'll never guess who I'm watching on the television," said Gerry. "It's Brycie - remember Bryce Moon - I used to play with him at Coleraine and there he is playing for South Africa in the African Cup of Nations."

Marty suddenly became more than just an interested spectator.

"Maybe I'll get one of those development fees," he joked. " You know when you bring a player through a club and he moves on to better things.

"He's clearly done well for himself. Actually now that Darren Boyce has gone to Glentoran I need a right winger. Maybe I'll tap him up!"

Bannsiders fans can recall a time when there was a new Moon rising at Coleraine.

Bryce became the first South African to play for the club in 2004 and shortly after his arrival as a bubbly teenager he eclipsed everything in sight.

"It was amazing," said Marty. "He was so quick and we thought we had signed Pele!"

An 18-year-old Bryce was in the province on a one-year exchange programme organised by the Causeway Institute - and although he was good at doing his talking on the pitch, he was fluent in five languages.

Football is the worldwide language of course and Coleraine was an important lesson in his education.

Bryce turned down a professional contract at home and the opportunity of a soccer scholarship at Boston University to come to study in Coleraine.

However, not surprisingly, it was a little too cold for him in the north-west.

Radio Ulster DJ Alan Simpson gave Bryce the nickname "Alfie Moon" and Marty is delighted his star is still rising.

"When he first came to us he started off like a house on fire and for the first four or five months we thought we had Pele on the books," said Marty. "He scored goals for us and created them as well.

"But the cold weather conditions proved to be too much for him and he went home to attend his grandmother's funeral. He was a great kid but he had become a bit unsettled. He mixed with the boys well though and was always dedicated and professional.

"I think he was tea total when he arrived but we soon changed that! I'm not surprised at all he is playing for South Africa and I'm very pleased to see him doing so well."

Bryce played for South Africa in the 1-1 draw with Angola on Wednesday but one wonders how much he remembers about his trial for Coleraine against Portstewart in the North West Cup!

He also played for his country at youth level and set the 100 metre sprint record at both U-17 and U-19 level in the Western Province!

Now aged 22, he's playing for Ajax - that's Ajax Cape Town, not the Amsterdam giants.

How Marty would love to unleash the South African flying machine on Institute at the Showgrounds tomorrow.

"It's a must in game for us to create daylight between us and them," he said.