“It’s all about the ‘we’ and not the ‘I’ in that situation.”
Individuals don’t win All-Ireland medals, teams do, and to Tyrone’s team had an incredible bond this year.
It wasn’t just the starting 15 that was important, it was the entire squad, even those who didn’t make the 26-man panel on match day.
Kieran McGeary was one of the stand out players this season, but he knows that Tyrone’s success was a team effort, and tells the perfect story to prove it.
“Yeah, you know what, that bus has been going for a while and there have been people that have stepped off it and people that have stepped on it.
“I suppose this is the year that it has all just clicked perfectly, because of our Ulster and All-Ireland success. They are honestly a bunch of great lads, they really are, every single one of them.
“The way they conduct themselves, on and off the pitch, the way boys help you at training, even moreso the fellas that – I’ll give you an example, boys that didn’t make the 26 on the Thursday night, it’s such a tough call for anybody, if you look at some of the players on the panel that never made the 26, they’re some of the best, best lads and best footballers if you were to go through Tyrone.
“I received a text when I went home (on the Thursday night) from one of them in particular. I’ll not give you his name because he would be a bit embarrassed but I received a text and it said ‘Anything you need in the next 48 hours just let me know, if I can help you in any way in the next 48 hours just let me know’.
“That just underlines the type of players they are. Straight away it’s all about the ‘we’ and not the ‘I’ in that situation.
“And that would be hard to go home on the Thursday night and know that you weren’t on the panel but if you have all the boys doing that, you’re not in a bad setup.”
