Sport

Karl Lacey primed for another season with Donegal

Former Footballer of the Year Lacey has been severely hampered by injury over the past few years and it had been expected that he would call it a day. Picture by Seamus Loughran
Former Footballer of the Year Lacey has been severely hampered by injury over the past few years and it had been expected that he would call it a day. Picture by Seamus Loughran Former Footballer of the Year Lacey has been severely hampered by injury over the past few years and it had been expected that he would call it a day. Picture by Seamus Loughran

THE futures of as several Donegal players are expected to be decided over the next month as Rory Gallagher moves the county into the newest phase of transition.

The Tír Chonaill boss was recently handed a new three-year deal, with the option of a fourth, as he seeks to build a new team.

Eamon McGee and Colm McFadden both announced their retirement after the All-Ireland quarter-final defeat by Dublin back in August, and it was expected that more would follow.

The Irish News understands that Gallagher has told the senior players that the decision was theirs to make, but that they could be facing a reduced role in the team if they were to return.

Karl Lacey will definitely be back for another season in the green and gold. The former Footballer of the Year has been severely hampered by injury over the past few years and it had been expected that he would call it a day, but sources have indicated that he will stay on.

Neil Gallagher is also understood to be swaying towards remaining part of the squad. The Glenswilly man didn’t feature during this year’s Championship at all, failing to make a recovery from injury in time.

He had played in in-house games during the run-up to the encounters with Cork and Dublin, though wasn’t deemed fit enough to be named in the 24-man squad for either game. He has been featuring well for Glenswilly in their run to the last four of the Club Championship.

Neil McGee and Christy Toye are also expected to return, though the future of Frank McGlynn is less clear.

The Glenfin man, who turned 30 this year, is understood to be less likely to return to the fold, while 31-year-old Anthony Thompson’s future also remains unclear.

He had been travelling back and forward from England earlier in the year, but he has now found full-time employment back in Donegal.

It’s also expected that Rory Kavanagh will hang up the boots for a second time. The St Eunan’s man quit ahead of the 2015 season before returning to play a starting role this year again.

David Walsh, the same age as Kavanagh at 33, had his year disrupted by a foot injury that prevented him making any impact and he too could have played his last game in the green and gold.