Football

Former skipper Niall McParland returns to James McCartan's Down squad

STANDFIRST

WELCOME BACK Niall McParland (right) played in Down’s last appearance in an Ulster final, in 2017 when they were beaten by Tyrone. After a spell teaching in Qatar, the Glenn clubman has been named in the first panel selected by new manager James McCartan			        Picture: Philip Walsh
WELCOME BACK Niall McParland (right) played in Down’s last appearance in an Ulster final, in 2017 when they were beaten by Tyrone. After a spell teaching in Qatar, the Glenn clubman has been named in the first panel selected by new manager James McC WELCOME BACK Niall McParland (right) played in Down’s last appearance in an Ulster final, in 2017 when they were beaten by Tyrone. After a spell teaching in Qatar, the Glenn clubman has been named in the first panel selected by new manager James McCartan Picture: Philip Walsh

DOWN will have former skipper Niall McParland back at the heart of their defence next season. After three years’ teaching in Doha, Qatar the Glenn clubman has returned to add experience to a new-look squad under James McCartan and Aidan O’Rourke.

McParland played under McCartan when he was first brought onto the Down panel in 2012 but his last game for the county was the Ulster Championship meeting with Donegal in 2018 and the Mourne county squad has changed dramatically since then.

Caolan Mooney, Kevin McKernan, Darren O’Hagan and Benny McArdle are the only other survivors from that Clones encounter - it is understood that Donal O’Hare, joint top-scorer in that game, is due to have a knee operation which could well leave him out of the reckoning for his county next season.

The Down management, who have brought in former Armagh netminder Philly McEvoy as goalkeeping coach, have called up a number of talented youngsters including Dennis Murtagh and Jack McCartan (Glenn), Tiarnan Rushe (Ballyholland) and Odhran Murdock (Burren).

“The squad has changed but it’s good to see some new faces in the panel,” said McParland.

“James and Aidan have a handle on everyone in the county and they have a good squad together so far.”

McParland flew home to play his part when his club won the Down Intermediate Championship in 2019 and he lined out for Qatar during his time in the Middle East. However, the former St Colman’s College Hogan Cup-winning skipper is delighted to be back at home and back in red and black.

“I’ve always been involved in football, everything revolves around football and always has,” he said.

“The football out there was a decent standard but it’s not your club or your county and I did miss that. I was lucky to get back for the championship final in 2019 so I didn’t miss that but when Championship days came around for Down and you’re standing watching instead of playing it was a bitter pill to swallow.

“So I was happy to get the call to go back because I didn’t know if I would get it – I don’t take anything for granted. I’ve been away for so long that you don’t know if you’ll get back in so I was glad when the phone rang and now I’m fighting for my place in the team.

“Football has moved on even since I’ve been away. A lot of it is about athleticism and gameplans and there’s a lot more detail about positions now. It takes a different type of player and there are lots and lots of footballers in Down capable of fitting into a system like that. The quality is brilliant in the panel and it’s great to see the new blood coming into it.”

Down’s season begins with a trip to Ballybofey next Friday to face Donegal in the McKenna Cup. After the pre-season competition, the Mournemen begin what promises to be a cut-throat Division Two campaign in a high-quality field.

“Our first three games are away to Derry, home to Galway and away to Cork so they’re three brilliant matches and we’ll soon find out where we are,” said McParland.

“But that’s what we want. I was in Division Three with Down for a couple of years and the games are just as hard so you’d rather be up challenging yourself against decent teams. We’re down to play Monaghan in the Ulster Championship so there’s no use in us hanging around Division Three, if we’re going to compete with them and teams like them we need to be in Division Two and at the top end of it.”