A goldfish bowl here at Mayo!

Galway v Mayo Today, 2pm

MAYO ace Lee Keegan reckons supporters and the media have developed an ‘obsession’ with the team.

The amount of column inches and air space given over to Mayo’s quest for Sam has mushroomed in the last five years.

Barely a season passes without some major controversy and ex-footballer of the Year Keegan is often in the thick of it.

A bizarre rumour sprung up about him having MS after last year’s Championship.

He went viral on another occasion when the hashtag ‘Thingsleedid’ was devised by Mayo fans to poke fun at those constantly accusing him of cynical play.

And collegaue Aidan O’shea has had to run a gauntlet of abuse from critics and commentators at various times too.

Keegan said: “It just becomes an obsession I think. I don’t know if it’s a Mayo thing, or to do with the fact that we haven’t got across the line with an All-ireland, I don’t know what it is.

“Aidan O’shea, I can tell you he’s one of the nicest guys you’ll come across in the squad, a really good guy for the younger guys to listen to and a real leader within the squad.

“I don’t think he really cares.”

Keegan is currently laid up after hip surgery and misses today’s Connacht showdown with Galway in Salthill.

It’s a big opportunity for both teams - to pick up valuable league points and to lay down a marker ahead of their Championship meeting in May.

Keegan said: “It’s also iportant the younger guys get the exposure of playing the likes of Galway and Kerry, Dublin and Donegal too.

“If we unearth one or two for the Championship it’s a real positive for ourselves.”