John Evans says budding stars lost to US ‘experience’

Roscommon football manager John Evans sought to strengthen his squad in the wake of their Division 2 league success, but he admits the lure of America robbed him of a sprinkling of the county’s emerging talent.

Present U21 players Diarmuid Murtagh and Ultan Harney are expected to figure prominently for the westerners this summer and Evans says there were a couple more budding prospects he was keen to bring on board.

Irish Examiner columnist Dara Ó Cinnéide said it would be “corrosive” if younger members of Evans’ squad were to ditch the primrose and blue for a summer in Chicago, but the Kerry native insists he has retained his full panel ahead of their Connacht championship opener against London on Sunday.