John Maher: ‘Every player can’t be a Matthew Thompson or Oisin Conaty’

The Galway man's route to the top was not a straight line.

Galway footballer John Maher at the Salthill Hotel. Pic: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

The player pathway is a funny thing. In a perfect world, it is a straight line from county minor to senior, fully formed out of the underage ranks and ready to deliver. For Galway and John Maher, that is far from the rule.

Maher’s route has been well charted now. He reached an All-Ireland minor final in 2016 and advanced to start midfield against Mayo in the 2020 league. They were hammered by 15 points and he was taken off at half-time. He didn't play again for over two years.