Football

I still feel as fresh as when I arrived on Donegal scene says Paddy McBrearty

Paddy McBrearty was one of the star performers for Donegal during their run to the Ulster final last summer
Paddy McBrearty was one of the star performers for Donegal during their run to the Ulster final last summer Paddy McBrearty was one of the star performers for Donegal during their run to the Ulster final last summer

IF ANY player had earned the right to complain about feeling burnt out by the GAA calendar, it would be Paddy McBrearty - but the Donegal ace insists he still feels as fresh as the day he first burst on to the inter-county scene.

McBrearty was just 17 when he came to national prominence after featuring for the Tír Chonaill minors and senior team in the same afternoon of Ulster Championship action back in 2011.

Since then, the Kilcar forward has clocked up a further 75 appearances for the Donegal seniors, with 35 of those coming in the Championship. By the time of his 19th birthday, he had already won two Ulster titles and one All-Ireland.

Considering McBrearty was still playing for the county U21s until 2014, is a mainstay of his club side, and has turned out for Maynooth University and Ulster University in colleges football, he has packed a huge amount into a career that still has so much more to come.

Looking ahead to another season with Donegal as well as Dr McKenna Cup and Sigerson Cup campaigns with UU, there is no sign of the load lightening.

Yet, McBrearty, still only 23, wouldn’t have it any other way: “Yeah it’s been fairly full on between club, county and colleges but it’s good in a way because, even with the heavy fixture load, I’ve been very lucky with injuries," he said.

“I haven’t picked up any very serious injuries on the way and as long as you’re fit to play in those games, I don’t mind it to be honest. I’ve a busy few months ahead, this is probably one of the busiest periods coming up here in the next five or six weeks, but that’s just the way it is.”

Asked whether he felt the years on the road had taken their toll, McBrearty replied: “I don’t think there’s that big of a difference.

“Obviously, training’s been intense there with Donegal the last few years, but I haven’t felt any different. Maybe if you ask me the same question in three or four years, but at the minute I feel fresh, the body feels good so as long as I’m fit to play in games I’m happy.”

With the likes of Eamon McGee and Colm McFadden bringing the curtain down on their inter-county careers, McBrearty is now one of the most experienced men on Rory Gallagher’s team.

The Donegal boss looks set to field the county’s U21 side in the Dr McKenna Cup, and McBrearty believes there is plenty of young talent coming through determined to follow his lead by forcing their way into Gallagher’s plans.

“We’re very fortunate there at the minute,” he continued.

“If you look at Kilkenny there through the years, there’s competition for every position. If you to training every night and think that your place is guaranteed, it’s not good for yourself personally or for the team.

“There’s a lot of boys there in the U21s who have been maybe unlucky not to win a few Ulster titles along the way, and the minor team got to an All-Ireland final in 2014.

“We’re very happy with the young lads who are in Donegal at the minute. Talking to them and being around them, they’ve a great attitude to the whole thing so hopefully they can push the thing on and put their name forward for a starting place in the team. Hopefully, a few will get a run now in the McKenna Cup, it’ll do them no harm.”

And having put his shoulder to the wheel so often in gold and green, McBrearty will find himself in the unusual position of lining out against his native county on January 8 after Donegal and UU were drawn alongside Tyrone and Cavan in Section C.

“It’ll be strange alright,” he admits.

“Playing so many games for Donegal and then playing against them, there’ll be a good bit of banter. Hopefully, the boys go easy on me now - I’ll have to have a word with them.”