Shamrock Rovers midfielder Gary O'Neill is targeting an "ambitious" return date of early June as he continues his recovery after receiving the all-clear after his cancer diagnosis.
On RTÉ Radio 1's Oliver Callan show, the 31-year-old spoke in depth about his absence from the game since October 2025, after being diagnosed with a form of testicular cancer, and his journey to receiving the all-clear in early March.
O’Neill said he is hoping to rejoin the Rovers playing squad ahead of their 12 June league derby with Shelbourne.
"I have a goal in my mind and I think it's definitely an optimistic goal to be brutally honest with you, but we have a mid-season break the first week of June and I'm looking at coming back after that mid-season break.
"I won't be ready to start a match or anything but I want to be back with the team and back training and then eventually knocking on the manager's door looking for a few minutes.
"So yeah, it's not too far away. That might be optimistic but that's just my goal."
In a wide-ranging interview, the Kerry native explained how what he thought was pain from a round of golf ultimately saw him rushed to hospital in an ambulance after consultation with club staff the next day and, after the conclusion of tests, having to undergo 28 intense sessions of chemotherapy until early January.
"I had bloods and stuff done and originally it looked like it was just maybe a course of gastroenteritis because my bloods actually weren't terrible," O’Neill said.
"But as the day went on, it wasn't really easing and fortunately enough my dad (Tony) was with me in the hospital at this time and pushed for a CT scan which I had quite late, at 11 o'clock at night.
"I then went back to the emergency department, fell asleep for a while and was woken up by a doctor coming through the curtain and to put it bluntly, told me that there was a large mass found in my stomach which was cancerous."
After having to undergo treatment, further scans in March of this year revealed positive news and O’Neill has been plotting a return to the game ever since.
"I went for a CT and then I was sent for a PET scan in Blackrock Clinic just to tick all the boxes really and that came back really positive and my oncologist obviously brought the news to me and on the sixth of March that it was all clear there was no obvious signs of anything living inside anymore.
"It was as you can imagine an indescribable feeling....you're on the clouds."
"I feel amazing at the minute, honestly I really do feel fit, healthy," O’Neill added.
"Back to my own individual running at the training ground and (I) have a goal in mind of when I'd like to be back with the team and training, but as of right now I'm just obviously building my body up to that."
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