So many inter-county players act as if their mouths have been taped up, Conor Meyler couldn't be more different.
He'd reach for the roll of sticky tape and the scissors without thinking. A strip of a couple of inches length would be cut. He'd put it to one side to get himself comfortable in bed. Then he'd cover his mouth with the tape.
A calm, measured and intelligent voice, his criticisms of the way the GAA operate are rooted in sharp observations, rooted in real experience. "You do all your individual work and prep, the team meetings, training for 90 minutes on the field, in for physio, ice bath, get your feed. You're not eating until 9.30pm or 10pm and then you're on the road for 10.30pm. I'm back in Belfast for midnight, maybe. Then it's rinse and repeat.
"That brings added stress that professionals don't have. They know their schedules, when they can pick their kids up, what day they'll have off. But when we get into season, things chop and change all the time. It meant he didn't play a minute for either Tyrone or Omagh St Enda's. He's still on crutches so he's not tying himself to any return date, but new Tyrone manager Malachy O'Rourke has been in regular contact.
Think of the 2019 All-Ireland final. Tyrone hardly laid a glove on Dublin but Brian Fenton had one of his quietest Championship games. Meyler would have been seen as an unlikely choice to man-mark Fenton, but he restricted him to just seven touches."I was told to retire, to just pack it in, that my knee was bucked. But it's my body, my call.
"The problem for many in sport is that they struggle with that. They're saying to themselves 'I didn't ask for this'. No, but you did ask for this, this and this, and it's Yin and Yang. You can't have one without the other. That's where it gets muddy for boys. You see it all the time with the top, top ones. They cross the line, whether it's sex, drink, gambling.
"Conor McManus is going back with Monaghan. At some point, he'll need a double hip replacement. If that's in five years time and he's not playing for Monaghan, who picks up the tab on that? Because he's Conor McManus, he might get sorted but most of the fellas who play for years for their counties, generating huge amounts of money through sponsorship and attendances get told 'it's not our problem anymore'.
Meyler likes the theory of a split season but he has seen the reality - players being pulled all over the place all year around.
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Tyrone Star Conor Meyler's Unique Approach to Sleep and His PhD JourneyConor Meyler, a Tyrone football star, shares his unusual nightly ritual of taping his mouth shut to improve his sleep quality. He is also pursuing a PhD in Sport, Leadership, and Gender, studying the culture and leadership of various sports teams in Australia and New Zealand.
Read more »
Errigal Ciaran's Ulster Success Fuels Tyrone's GloryThis article explores the strong connection between Errigal Ciaran's victories in the Ulster club championship and Tyrone's success at the county and national levels.
Read more »
Errigal Ciaran's Ulster Success: A Harbinger of Tyrone's Glory?This article explores the strong correlation between Errigal Ciaran's victories in the Ulster club championship and Tyrone's success in the senior Gaelic football competition. It highlights three instances where Errigal Ciaran's triumph coincided with Tyrone's advancements in Ulster, culminating in Tyrone's first All-Ireland title in 2003.
Read more »
Errigal Ciaran Aim for Tyrone's First All-Ireland Club SFC FinalErrigal Ciaran are on the verge of history as they seek to become the first Tyrone club to reach an All-Ireland club SFC final. They face a tough test against Dr Crokes in Sunday's semi-final.
Read more »
One man in critical condition after Co Tyrone crashTwo men were injured in a collision between a van and a car in Omagh on Sunday evening. One of the men, the van driver, remains in a critical condition.
Read more »
Lorry Driver Dies in Single-Vehicle Crash in Co TyroneA fatal single-vehicle collision occurred on Monday morning in Co Tyrone, resulting in the death of a lorry driver.
Read more »