SHOULD I stay or should I go? The clash was reverberating around Niall Sludden’s head earlier this year.
‘Club versus county’ was supposed to be a debate of the past, but a lack of game-time with Tyrone in the League made him ponder.
“In the National League I didn’t play too much, had a few appearances off the bench here and there and you were questioning, looking at games in the club league, and thinking ‘Maybe I should be going there, maybe I should be giving more to my club at this age? I want to be playing more’...”
Although he had established himself under Mickey Harte, the Dromore man knew that didn’t guarantee anything under the new management team of Feargal Logan and Brian Dooher:
“You are proving yourself again. Kind of a clean slate, that’s the way it was at the start of the year in trials and I suppose throughout the year I was kind of playing bit parts, playing different appearances off the bench and all and thinking to myself, ‘Right, I wonder what these boys think of me?’ or ‘Do they rate me?’
“You are always doubting yourself. I think that comes with being a player…I suppose I was thinking, ‘This is going to be a short year. Am I going to get a chance here at all?’”
A combination of patience and persistence helped him win a starting slot back, although he admits it would have been hard to step away:
“I think it was an easy enough decision to make. Obviously I love Dromore as well, but I love being part of the [Tyrone] set-up, I’ve been part of it for a long time.
“You know what, I would always have great self-belief in myself. I know what I can do. I know what I can bring to the team too as well.
“I knew I was getting game-time, and then I was thinking to myself there are boys not even getting game-time…
“Next thing I know I was getting drafted in and sent into the Cavan game. I was just like, ‘I am ready for this,’ and just felt that buzz again as well.”
That Ulster Championship opener was the first start on Tyrone’s road to recovery after their League shellacking by Kerry.
Sludden’s optimism is obviously as boundless as his on-pitch energy, insisting: “I felt after the defeat in the League semi-final that we were going to come back, that there was something there, that we can push on from that. We got past Cavan, built on that, and now we’re in an All-Ireland Final.”
Best-known as a half-forward, he’s been operating from half-back, but doesn’t see his role too differently: “I kind of try and cover every blade of grass I can on whatever pitch it is.
“You could find me in the half-back line, half-forward line, corner-forward, corner-back. I suppose that’s the versatility that I have and what you need.
“I don’t think that’s changed too much. It’s just given me probably a bit more license to get forward, and in defence and I just try and do my bit for the team.”
Still, he doesn’t consider himself an automatic starter: “Going into an All-Ireland final I know we will be going training and there will be boys pushing for places in the 26 and the team so there is no certainty at the minute. I am just trying to do my best at training again to impress, impress, impress, impress. Especially with Brian and Feargal, that’s what they are looking out for.”
He has seized his chance so far, and is determined to keep doing so: “I'm enjoying my football, back at it again.
“I don't know what it was [earlier in the year], sometimes you try too hard, sometimes some other things. We're humans at the end of the day and things happen in our lives. Maybe sometimes you do try too hard.
“But I feel good. I'm really looking forward to this opportunity as well… I'm starting to get to the twilight of my career so you really have to make the most of it.”
