Cathal McShane: ‘I wouldn’t say it’s closed at all’ – All-Ireland winner in Tyrone’s career

Cathal McShane says he is not closing the door on a potential return to Tyrone in the future, but insists he is enjoying his time with Strabane Athletic after stepping away from inter-county service.

The All-Ireland winner signed for Premier Intermediate Football Club last June after falling off the Red Hands panel ahead of the All-Ireland series.

2019 All-Star winner McShane, who scored in Tyrone’s 2021 All-Ireland final win over Mayo, is set to take on Irish Premier League heavyweights Glentoran in the fifth round of the Irish Cup at Melvin Park Arena on Saturday (13:30 GMT).

“I wouldn’t say it’s closed at all,” the three-time Ulster SFC winner told BBC Sport NI when asked about his Tyrone career.

“He-she [stepping away] “It’s something I had to do at the time just to give myself a break, just to straighten some things out and reset more than anything else.”

He added: “In the off-season, I always play a little bit of football. Maybe this time there was more of it or something. For me, it’s just about enjoying what I’m doing in the moment and seeing what the future holds.”

“I would never say it’s closed. I’m just going to keep working hard and making sure my body is in the best shape possible. That’s the plan going forward, and you never know, we’ll see the story moving forward.”

McShane joined Strabane in June after the club gained promotion to the third tier of the League of Ireland.

They faced Cliftonville in the round of 16 from Pete McLean in November, losing 5-2 at Solitude, but will be hoping to pull off a major upset when they host 23-time Irish Cup winners Glentoran on Saturday.

“They are a fantastic team and are doing great,” added McShane, who scored the winner for Strabane in extra time in their win over Loughgall earlier this season.

“I’ve been keeping an eye on the results recently. They’ve got a few ex-Derry players and Finn Harps players in there, and they’ve got a lot of high quality.

“We know we will face it but our aim is to enjoy the occasion, do our best and see how it goes.”