Frustrated Meehan forced to take the long road to recovery

Galway star Michael Meehan has not ruled out a return to inter-county football if he can recover from the ankle injury which has plagued him for the last four years.

The 29-year old announced on Friday that he was opting out of the Galway squad for 2014 in an effort to finally sort out a debilitating injury to his left ankle.

He has had numerous surgeries but weakening cartilage has compounded the problem and now the attacker believes a break from the inter-county game may be his best option.

“It is frustrating and it is disappointing to have to step aside. I have managed it quite well over four years but I suppose each and every year you go on it gets more frustrating and harder but the nature of the injury means that there is a serious bit of damage done to my ankle. I played a lot of football last year but it took a lot out of the ankle.

“It feels as if I am a long way away from getting anywhere near inter-county football so the best thing for me is to step aside and hopefully let things settle and maybe try and get back at a slower pace — back to club football initially and if it goes well then we will see after that,” said the Caltra clubman.

Meehan said that he has had to manage the injury over the past few years but he just feels he can’t continue at the moment.

“I have a good medical team supporting me all the way through this. It has been a management thing over the years and that is what I am going to try to do again this year but from a much slower base I suppose.”

Meehan, whose brother Declan is a Galway selector this year, has not played for the Tribesmen since last year’s All-Ireland quarter-final loss to Cork in Croke Park.

“The hardest part is not being able to play, not bring able to contribute. It is much easier to play a game than watch a game. You feel you can’t contribute and it is disappointing, especially with the lads working hard and not everything going their way at the minute. If I thought I could be in a position to help them I would but it is too far away and after that I don’t really know. There is structural damage and it is probably as repaired as much as it can be at this stage.”