That buzz helping the Mayo lads overcome adversity is why I keep coming back for more

EVERGREEN O’CONNOR STILL HAS RAGING THIRST FOR SUCCESS

WHEN you’ve spent a season out of a team in your 30s, talk of retirement always comes your way.

But it was something Mayo’s Cillian O’connor never gave a second’s thought.

Those crushing defeats in Allireland finals didn’t break his spirit, or zap his hunger.

So there was no chance of enforced bench time doing so, and O’connor’s eyes light up when explaining what drives him.

“I’d say it’s just the sense of team. That’s what I like about it. The same as in work or in sport, you know when you are trudging along with lads, maybe going through a bit of adversity or a bit of struggle and it’s towards a common goal,’’ he said.

“There’s a buzz in that I think. I enjoy that sense of working with your team-mates and we get to do it every week in training. That’s what keeps bringing me back.”

O’connor did find 2023 frustrating, playing catch up after an injury lay-off and not really getting to where he wanted to be. It was a strange year for Mayo too in their first season under Kevin Mcstay. The high of winning the League was all too brief as they were knocked out of Connacht by Roscommon straight afterwards.

There was a memorable win over Kerry in the All-ireland series, but then a big lead over Cork was squandered.

In the All-ireland quarterfinals, they put it up to Dublin in the first half but collapsed in the second.

“We’ve obviously sat down with management and had internal conversations ourselves, reviewed it as best we can,’’ said O’connor. “But trying to find that silver bullet is never easy. I think consistency is something we’re chasing.”

It’s put to O’connor that Mayo might treat the League differently this time around.

Is there a case for keeping the powder dry until the ground hardens? O’connor brushes the question off.

“To my knowledge, we’re going to be approaching every League game to win, to be as competitive as we can,’’ he said.

“We’re competitive animals at the best of times. I’ve seen lads falling out with each other playing 25 in the team hotel the night before. So nobody wants to give an inch.”

O’connor will turn 32 in May and this is his 14th season in the green and red. He made his Championship debut in 2011 when Mayo just squeezed past London in Ruislip. Of those he played with that day, only Aidan O’shea is still around.

In other sports, careers are much longer than they were in the past. Lionel Messi’s name is brought up. A World Cup winner at 35, a Ballon D’OR winner at 36. O’connor laughs when this is put to him.

“First time I’ve been in the same sentence as Messi (inset) so I’ll take that,’’ he said. “I feel good, I feel injury-free and that’s positive. The fli pside of having a few injuries over the years is that you get a whole year out.

“I feel that year I missed in 2021 is a year I have back. I didn’t have the slog of a full season that year, I didn’t have the banging and trouble on the joints, the running and all that.

“I love training, I love the game, I love the matches and I love the buzz in the squad and the plotting and scheming with my team-mates trying to figure stuff out and win matches.

“I’m feeling positive again about it all. There’s loads of examples you see in hurling and football of guys playing deep into their 30s and if I can take a bit from them then that’s brilliant.”