Teen star available again for Antrim footballers

Teenage star CJ McGourty is expected to rejoin the Antrim panel for their Tommy Murphy Cup stint after a viral infection cut short his stay in America.

McGourty was due to spend the rest of the summer Stateside after flying out in the aftermath of Antrim's Ulster championship defeat to Derry.

But the 19-year-old forward, who kicked four points against Derry, returned home last Sunday.

He was due to spend the summer in Boston, playing for local club Aidan McAnespies, who had set him up with a job.

The St Gall's clubman's short stay in Boston was dogged by a viral infection.

"Everything was sorted. Everything was spot on. I got a viral infection last year before the Ulster minor final and when I got over there it started to get bad again," McGourty explained.

"I thought the best decision was to come home again. I wasn't feeling great."

The first round of the Tommy Murphy Cup will commence on July 7, with the draw to be made either this Sunday, combined with the All-Ireland SFC qualifiers draw, or on Monday at a meeting of the GAA's Central Competitions Control Committee (CCCC).