Football

Joe McMahon aiming for Tyrone return after long injury absence

Joe McMahon is aiming to get back into action for Tyrone soon <br />Picture by S&eacute;amus Loughran
Joe McMahon is aiming to get back into action for Tyrone soon
Picture by Séamus Loughran
Joe McMahon is aiming to get back into action for Tyrone soon
Picture by Séamus Loughran

JOE McMahon has revealed he’s ready to end a 17-month injury nightmare and return to action with Tyrone.

The double Sam Maguire Cup winner hasn’t played for the Red Hands since 2015, when he suffered a groin injury during the All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Kerry at Croke Park.

Setback has followed setback since then, but he says there’s light at the end of the tunnel and he’s determined to get himself back to full fitness and pull on the famous white shirt once again.

“I would be hopeful of getting back out again in the next couple of months,” he said.

The Omagh man has resumed training with the squad in recent weeks, but still has a long way to go, and will not rush back in the early stages of the National Football League.

“Whether it’s in the National League or beyond that, time will tell.”

Having finally succeeded in sorting the troublesome groin problem, McMahon returned to action with his club late last season, but was side-lined again by a hamstring injury in the very last game of the campaign.

“It’s been a disappointing couple of seasons with the groin injury giving me quite a bit of bother. I got myself into good shape during the summer, but that came a little bit too late for the county set-up, with the level that is expected. A lot of games had been played, a lot of training sessions done.

“But I finished out the season with Omagh, and in the last game against Killyclogher, I picked up a hamstring injury. Maybe when you’re so focused on one part of the body, you tend to neglect other parts. And to the detriment of myself, it has set me back another few months.

“But I’ll attack the rehab again. One thing I have learned from the rehab is that you need incredible patience, and that’s something I have gained through the rehab.”

Harsh lessons learned over many seasons have taught the 33-year-old schoolteacher to avoid setting targets and he plans to work hard and allow recover to take its course.

“In the past, I have given myself a target, and if I haven’t met that target I have been disappointed. But this time around, I’ll just continue with my rehab, keep testing it along the way and see how strong the body is and how it would cope with playing at that level.

“That will be tested through quite a bit of intense training with the team, and that’s where it’s really tested, out on the training pitch, and hopefully that will get myself ready for a match.”

It’s been a long, troubled and frustrating journey for Tyrone’s long-serving utility man since his last appearance in August 2015, along which he frequently allowed doubts over his future to creep into his mind.

“There’s only so long you can look at the four walls of the gym. You want to be out there playing, but it’s taking a lot of patience, a lot of time and a lot of effort to get yourself back.

“If I didn’t do this, if I just hung the boots up and said that’s it for me, I probably would have regret, but if I get back at the rehab, get the body right, and try and give it one last go, we’ll see how it goes.

“There’s certainly points during your training, you’re thinking, what is this all about? And then you remember days gone by and the excitement of playing at that level and being able to go out there and express yourself as footballer.

“It would be great to get back to that. Whether it is with Tyrone, time will tell, but certainly with the club, I feel I still have a bit to offer.”