Jamie Clarke yet to decide on Armagh involvement next season

Jamie Clarke will take his time before deciding whether to commit to Armagh next season.

The 26-year-old came off the bench in Sunday’s Ulster club final to help guide Crossmaglen to victory over Monaghan champions Scotstown.

He returned for their provincial campaign early last month having spent the summer in the US, his previous game for the club coming back in May.

Clarke intends travelling again but confirmed he will be available for Crossmaglen’s All-Ireland semi-final against Castlebar Mitchels on February 13 and the following month’s final should they progress.

However, he stopped short of stating he will don the Armagh jersey in 2016. “It’s in the pipeline, I don’t want to rush into anything yet. It has been a tough year and from my own point of view, I have to think of my future as well away from football. It’s difficult to balance football and work at the moment. There is a lot to think about but, ultimately, it’s very difficult to leave the football behind. It pulls at the heart strings at times.” In September, Clarke successfully appealed a retrospective red card issued to him for “disruptive conduct” in Armagh’s All-Ireland qualifier defeat to Galway in July.

He didn’t have to return for the case but in the event of Crossmaglen winning a county championship, it was always his intention to come back and make himself available to John McEntee and Oisín McConville.

“That was the plan, initially. I suppose being away over the summer I knew I was going to miss part of the county [championship] and I was thinking of the bigger picture as well, down the line.

“To be back in another All-Ireland semi-final is great for us. We’ll enjoy it for a week or two but there is a lot of work to be done to prepare for the All-Ireland series.” A player of Clarke’s class may be forgiven for feeling he merited inclusion in the team as soon as he returned. He has appeared as a substitute in the last two games but you won’t hear him complaining.

“I wasn’t too bothered about that either. Ultimately, I’m only playing my part in this unbelievable club. If you have to play any role at all in the success of the club, I have played in All-Ireland finals before, but if you are playing any role in this great club, you’re doing something right. Just to be here and to be part of it, it’s great you know.”

Meanwhile Mattie McGleenan has revealed he’s ready to commit to another season as Scotstown manager.

“We’ll try and get back here again,” he said. “We have to defend our title. That’s challenge number one, but we have a league title to defend next week, so I’d like to defend it first.” McGleenan is hoping a memorable campaign will give his playes an appetite for the provincial stage, and inspire them to become part of it again in 2016.

“We have had a fabulous time. This is some competition — All-Ireland club, Ulster club is a fabulous competition where the best players hang out. I just hope that these boys have a taste for it.

“The agreement we had at the start of the year was that we would win one Ulster club match. We got ourselves to an Ulster club final, it’s been a fantastic journey. We have the league next Friday night, so we need to regroup for that. Our season is not over.”