The All-Ireland series may have just concluded but the Derry senior footballers are facing into a tough 2017 after reports nine key players have opted out for next season.
The Irish News is reporting that a number of players, including the likes of Danny Heavron and Sean Leo McGoldrick, will not be available to Damien Barton next year.
The other players named are Liam McGoldrick, Gareth McKinless, Conor McAtamney, Emmett Bradley, Ciaran McFaul, Eoghan Brown and Christopher Bradley.
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While McGoldrick missed out on the Oak Leaf county's 2016 campaign, the other eight players all featured to some extent.
A number of the players are believed to have opted out for personal reasons rather than footballing ones.
Derry suffered a heavy defeat to eventual provincial champions Tyrone in the Ulster quarter-finals.
However, they bounced back with qualifier wins over Louth, Meath and Cavan before a surprise one-point defeat to Tipperary in the last 12.
