‘CAVANAGH HAS MORE TO GIVE TO TYRONE CAUSE’

FORMER Tyrone hero Owen Mulligan insists Sean Cavanagh could carry on beyond this season, writes Donnchadh Boyle.

After making his championship debut in 2002, three-time All-Ireland winner Cavanagh has insisted this will be his final season with the county side. However, Mulligan believes he could stay on and be used in the way Peter Canavan was towards the tail end of his career.

“I don’t think Cavanagh should go, so I don’t,” Mulligan said of the Moy man’s impending retirement.

“I think you could use him off the bench. (Mickey) Harte did it with (Peter) Canavan in his last year or two but Cavanagh is a massive part of Tyrone.

“He’s a serious player, a serious player. He’s taken some abuse over the years but he still comes back and still goes on. You only have to look at his physique. He’s 34 years of age, I think he has another year left in him.”

Mulligan reckons it would be a fitting send-off for him if Tyrone were to win Sam Maguire this year.

“Its up to himself and he has a family there and more important things than football. But football is a part of his life.

“I think he could stay another year, possibly two, but he’s his own man and has pulled (Tyrone) by the scruff of the neck.

“After 2008 and ‘09 we had a couple of bad years as a team but he still was there and he’ll want to put that Mayo game last year out of his system.

“He was sent off and he’ll want to get to an All-Ireland final and lift Sam as a captain.”