Derry's Bradley aiming for early league return

Talismanic forward Paddy Bradley is on course to regain full fitness ahead of Derry's Allianz Football League campaign in the spring.

Bradley has been sidelined since undergoing an operation on a ruptured cruciate knee ligament last April.

He is making good progress with running sessions currently and is set to return to playing action in the Dr McKenna Cup next month, with Derry due to face UUJ, Cavan, Donegal in Section C.

The Oak Leafers will launch their Division 2 challenge at home to Galway on Sunday, February 5, and manager John Brennan is hoping to have both Bradley brothers, Paddy and Eoin, back by the end of the league.

"Paddy is coming on very well and Eoin is naturally a couple of months behind after picking up his knee injury later (in July)," Brennan told the Irish Examiner.

"We're optimistic Eoin will be part of our plans for the latter part of the league.

"Going on what the medics have told us, we expect Paddy to be ready for the start of the league. He has his rehab done and he should be playing football by January."

The news of Paddy Bradley's impending return comes just as he publicly registers his disappointment with the lack of financial support he received during the post-surgery period.

The 30-year-old, who won an All-Star award in 2007, admitted to the Irish News that it has been an expensive road to recovery for him.

"The GAA's insurance system is very good and I was well looked after in terms of the operation was covered very swiftly and paid for and the Belfast knee clinic was sorted out. But there's nothing there for after-care," he said.

"I've kept a diary of how much money I'm out and how much time I'm out. It's amazing how much expense goes into getting you back to playing and it's something I'm never going to be reimbursed for. At times, you feel nobody gives a damn about you."

But Bradley did pay tribute to the Gaelic Players Association for their continuing work in raising awareness of player welfare at all levels.

"I'm not saying the GPA are brilliant in terms of sorting everything out but, at the same time, at least they have done something in acknowledging the fact that players need to be looked after a lot better.

"Whenever you're out all that money, and that's money that you'll never get back, it frustrates me to hear people on terraces criticise you, or to hear people criticise the GPA. That's been one frustrating thing about the whole ordeal."