10 February 2012
Last year was a frustrating one for Michael McCann, whose inter county season never really got off the ground, hindered by a debilitating back injury. The setback came at the wrong time, Antrim footballers had made the step up to Division 2, and all experienced players would be needed, at full fitness, if they were going to make an impact. McCann made a cameo appearance in the opening league game V Kildare and that was his sum total of league campaign 2010.
Now happily restored to full fitness, Michael missed the opening league fixture against Sligo, having picked up a red card in the opening round of the McKenna Cup. That suspension is now over and he resumes a midfield role for this Sunday’s Trip to Tipperary.
Speaking to the county website today Michael acknowledged the frustration of last year.
“It was very frustrating, I never really got the position last year where I was fully fit. Watching games is not my favourite pastime, when I feel I should be playing. It is good to be back now, I am fully fit and I feel in great shape. To be honest that made last weekend worse in some ways, because missing the Sligo game through suspension was hard to take. Obviously it was great that we got the win and the lads dug deep late into the game to make sure we got the two points.”
That win was the perfect start to the league although Liam Bradley has stressed in the days since the win that the performance was below expected standards. Michael McCann agrees.
“I think that going to Tipperary will actually be one of our toughest tests this year. They are a strong side, they showed that last year and they have also been a Division 2 team quite recently. The last time we travelled down there a few years ago we came home empty handed. We want to make sure the outcome this year is different, but we are very aware of how hard it will be.”
