ARMAGH midfielder Stephen Sheridan says he is “baffled” by players who turn down the chance to play at senior inter-county level.
In an in-depth interview in today’s Irish News, the 27-year-old Forkhill man speaks candidly about the countless knock-backs in his career before making the decisive breakthough with the Orchard men last summer.
Sheridan was dropped from the county's U21 panel in his third and final year and explains the feeling of being surplus to requirements for in-house games with the Armagh seniors in 2015.
Sheridan, though, showed remarkable resilience to keep coming back and emerged as one of the driving forces in Armagh’s Championship run to last season’s All-Ireland quarter-finals.
“There are so many people out there who would love to be part of an inter-county set-up,” says Sheridan.
“When the chance comes, you really have to go for it. It baffles me that someone can say ‘no’ to an inter-county set-up. Armagh has been a dream for me. No matter what county you come from you’re always growing up watching football and the Ulster Championship, the Kerrys and Dublins – and to actually have the chance to go and play at that level is something so rewarding that I don’t understand how people can turn it down.”
An increasing number of GAA pundits have bemoaned the growing demands placed on the inter-county player and while more are inclined to take a year out, Sheridan has no intentions of temporarily giving up the Armagh jersey.
“You have your trips to America and people want to go travelling. You can’t fault them either, but I suppose I made a decision from a young age that my life is football, I wanted to play for Armagh and when I eventually finish up I will have the opportunities to travel and do other things.”
Sheridan, voted Armagh’s Player of the Year in 2017, pays heartfelt tributes to two of his mentors – Forkhill’s Fintan Burns and Ulster University coach Benny Hurl – in helping him realise his potential at elite level.
A teetotaller, the bustling midfielder says he loves everything about the inter-county scene and rejects the notion that it has become something of a joyless pursuit for many players.
“My life has changed from when I got involved in the Armagh set-up,” he says.
“Every day you’re planning your training, you’re planning your recovery and you’re planning for matches. I want to better myself and better Armagh. I absolutely love it. My family probably look at me sometimes and say: ‘There’s something wrong with you!’
“But the lifestyle change is incredible. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy a takeaway every couple of weeks…”
Sheridan appears to have overcome a hip injury after appearing in Armagh’s McKenna Cup games while injured quartet Brendan Donaghy, Rory Grugan, Ethan Rafferty and Ben Crealey sat out their semi-final defeat to Donegal ahead of Sunday’s NFL Divison Three opener at home to Sligo.
“The group of players that’s there in Armagh, the drive is there, the desire is there. I hope the ups and downs of last year’s League will stand to us,” Sheridan adds.
“And with the addition of Jim [McCorry, selector] in with us now is a big boost. I feel the players really want to be there now, there’s a desire to succeed. And the support we got from the fans on the road last year was incredible. I think they can really push us on this year.”
