RYAN McCLUSKEY stopped just short of quoting Zlatan Ibrahimovic as the Fermanagh veteran insisted he still has something to offer the Erne set-up in 2017.
Manchester United’s Swedish striker, the same age as McCluskey at 35, said he enjoyed making those who had written him off “eat their words” - albeit using more colourful language.
McCluskey kept it clean as he looked ahead to Fermanagh’s opening Dr McKenna Cup game with Monaghan and the beginning of his 17th season playing inter-county football.
But the Enniskillen Gaels stalwart admits he can’t wait to pull on the green jersey again after fears a chronic hip flexor injury suffered during last year’s National League could signal the end of his county career.
“I’ll be slightly more polite than Mr Ibrahimovic this morning, but over the last number of years I think I’ve looked after myself in the right manner, so it would be nice to get a crack at it,” said McCluskey.
“It was a case of weighing things up and seeing how the body would recover, and what way the consultant judged things. It was up in the air I suppose.
“I’d be close to Leon Carters, our strength and conditioning coach, and it was one of those injuries you have to rehab straight away, get the physiotherapy done on it and do your own exercises. But the rehab has gone well, I’ve been able to get a bit of match time in training so things have been going to plan.
“When you go back to the cut and thrust of McKenna Cup games even, we’ll learn a lot more about where we’re at in terms of the leg. Before, it might have been one game at a time, now it’s one session at a time.”
Having first been brought into the Fermanagh panel towards the end of Pat King’s tenure, McCluskey has enjoyed his fair share of highs and lows in county colours.
Just missing out on reaching an All-Ireland final in 2004 and passing up the opportunity to end Fermanagh’s wait for a first Ulster title against Armagh four years later, it is those kind of moments that drive McCluskey on.
And he believes that, under Pete McGrath, the Erne men have unfinished business - especially at provincial level: “First and foremost, the fact we haven’t won anything,” he said when asked why he had decided to come back for another year.
“It’s a long-time ambition and dream to win an Ulster Championship, and then to go further after that and you still have those desires and dreams to win an All-Ireland.
“I have loved every minute of it - yes it’s a massive commitment and it’s even more difficult now that I have a young daughter, but it’s something I’ve always enjoyed and loved. It’s either for you or not and I’ve enjoyed the whole thing. There’ll be a bit of a void whenever I’m finished in that sense, but I’ll certainly fill it by going into coaching the management side of things.”
Before that day comes though, McCluskey is determined to make the best of every chance he has to take the field - starting, he hopes, against the Farney men on Sunday.
“I’d be aiming to get some time, get the match fitness up,” he added.
“I’ve felt good leading up to it, so I’d be disappointed if I didn’t see any game time at the weekend.”
