Crawford still up for a battle Royal

TEN years ago Sean Boylan pitched a 19-year-old Nigel Crawford straight into the midfield battle for a Leinster Senior Football Championship opener against Wicklow.

With the legendary John McDermott by his side, Crawford thrived on his top flight debut and maintained those high standards all summer.

By September’s end, he had an All-Ireland medal clinking in his pocket and could be forgiven for envisaging that such a bountiful season was the template for what lay ahead.