Galvin takes first step on long road back

Four minutes at the back end of a Division 4 fixture at a freezing Ruislip is hardly the stuff of schoolboy dreams but, for John Galvin, his brief appearance in London two days ago was the realisation of a long-cherished goal.

For the Limerick midfielder, it was the first taste of competitive inter-county action in exactly a year, since the day he ruptured cruciate ligaments in his knee against Fermanagh — a month into his return from an identical misfortune.

All told, the guts of two seasons have swept by without the man from Croom, who had established a reputation as one of the outstanding centre-fielders of his generation before injury took its toll.

Galvin has left nothing to chance this time, taking an extra three months to recuperate after his second cruciate operation, but he has admitted to serious concerns about his abilities now that he is into his 30s.

“I don’t believe personally that I will get back to the level I was at,” he told the Irish Examiner earlier this year. “I am a few years older, I have missed out on a lot of football and I am just hoping that I can get back to 90-95%. Of course your biggest worry is ‘am I going to get back playing at all?’.

“People ask me about my ambitions for the season. I just want to play. Even twisting and turning, I used to see people holding back after injuries and wondering what that was all about, but you realise you have to give it time and your mind eventually comes round.”

Whether or not he reaches the heights of yesteryear, there is little debate but that a John Galvin playing at 90-95% of his capacity would remain a formidable opponent and he is determined to play a central role on his return.

His fitness issues haven’t just curtailed his football career, they have kept him off the basketball court as well and, though he can countenance playing a few minutes here and there on the hardwood, he has no such designs when it comes to the pitch.

“The thing about basketball is you can sub in and out whenever you want,” he explained. “You can play three minutes a quarter. That’s fine for basketball but in football if I am not going to be there all game… I am not going to be one of those guys who people say he is good to throw on for 20 minutes. I will either be in or I’ll be out.”