Club form the key to O’Neill fitness
The jinx that has followed the former Footballer of the Year throughout his career – and at one stage forced him to retire – resurfaced again this season.
He played just a couple of league games, but the niggles have cleared up, and he’s ready to torment the Monaghan defence at Healy Park.
“I’m back to full fitness and enjoying my football again, and luckily enough I have been staying clear of injuries now over this last couple of months.
“It’s good to get a good run at the club football, and I’m just looking forward to the championship now,” he said.
O’Neill stunned the GAA world back in 2008 when he quit inter-county football at the age of 28, following a demoralising battle with a variety of injuries.
He later reversed his decision and came back to win a third All-Ireland medal.
“Everybody just comes from their own situations, and everybody has their own situations, at home and that.
“In my own case, it was injuries, and getting fed up with that. Luckily enough, I have got most of them cleared up.”
There were further setbacks during the NFL, but O’Neill has managed to get in a sustained spell of competitive action by playing six league games with his club, Clann na nGael.
“The injuries I picked up weren’t anything serious, so you see light at the end of the tunnel. There was progress there, so I was happy enough. I got playing two or three games. Come the good weather, it’s a good help, with training.
“It’s hard to beat playing competitive matches, and club games are definitely competitive in Tyrone. There’s no easy games, and I think it definitely brings boys on, and you’re sharp. You don’t have any time on the ball in clubs games, and that’s what you expect in the championship, and I think it’s good preparation.”
Tomorrow’s game offers Monaghan the opportunity to gain revenge for last year’s heavy Ulster final defeat. But O’Neill feels retribution will be far from the minds of the Farney players.
“They’ll hardly be thinking about revenge or anything like that.
“Like ourselves, they’ll just be taking one game at a time, and they’ll just be preparing for it as best they can. I’m sure, over the past couple of months, they have been looking forward to this game. It’s going to be a tough game. You expect nothing less from neighbours.”
And Tyrone’s approach will be exactly the same.
But he is concerned that Tyrone have been playing their league football in a lower division than this weekend’s opponents. It was disappointing for us to have been playing in Division Two, and we’ll still be there next year.
“We were disappointed not to get out of it, and I’m sure it will stand to Monaghan, having played the top five, six teams in Ireland.”
But O’Neill is confident Tyrone can still produce the level of intensity that has won them three All-Ireland titles in the last eight years? “I think it is still there. You don’t feel it any easier on the body. Everybody puts in the effort, and we have young boys coming through there as well, which is a big help.
“They keep you on your toes, and if you’re not playing up to scratch, you’ll soon know about it, because you’ll be left on the bench.
“It’s good to have that sort of competition, and it keeps us as hungry and as sharp as we ever were.”
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