Tyrone’s Seán Cavanagh has admitted that the 2009 campaign ‘wore him down’, a statement perhaps that gives some credence to the view expressed in Tyrone manager Mickey Harte’s autobiography that ‘the roof caved in’ on the 2008 footballer of the year.
The comments by the Red Hand supremo centred on the player's omission from the All-Ireland semi-final team to start against Cork after complaining of flu-like symptoms on the morning of the game.
Cavanagh made his second seasonal appearance when he was introduced at half-time against Galway last Sunday.
Afterwards, he acknowledged that 2009 had been a tiring year. Speaking to the Irish Independent, he said: 'I feel an awful lot fresher. Even mentally I feel stronger. I felt that in 2009 I was getting a wee bit tired and a wee bit stale. I'd been on the go for a long time.'
He acknowledged that 2008 was an 'exceptional year' and that a seven-month break from the Cork game up to this month has now had serious benefits.
'I felt I needed a bit of a break. I can feel my body a bit stronger now as well. I had been playing with injections in my ankle for the past few years and my ankle hasn't felt as strong since I was 16 or 17. I'm really looking forward to building on my fitness and improving on my sharpness.'
Cavanagh feels strong enough to start a match and dropped a hint to that effect after Sunday's defeat to Galway.
'With every training session and every game I can feel myself getting sharper. I don't think I'm too far away, but I suppose you'd have to ask Mickey that. I wouldn't say no to 70 minutes against Kerry in Omagh next weekend.'
