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Aidan O'Shea on Mayo's logistical challenges

Mayo's Aidan O'Shea admits the logistical situation for the county's senior footballers can be ch...



Aidan O'Shea on Mayo's...
Football

Aidan O'Shea on Mayo's logistical challenges

Mayo's Aidan O'Shea admits the logistical situation for the county's senior footballers can be challenging but that they have little choice but to deal with that as best they can.

A recent article for the Irish Examiner by Dr Ed Coghlan set out the logistical difficulties when it comes to preparation and training for counties like Mayo given that many of their players are based in Dublin and outside the county. 

O'Shea, who is currently based in Mayo having also experienced the commute from Dublin, told Newstalk Sport broadcaster Oisin Langan that it's something that they try and deal with as best they can.

"It is a bottleneck for us but it's something we're going to have. It's not something you can eradicate fully," he said.

"It's not something that's going to change any time soon so we've kind of just got on with it. It's never really been an issue or really talked about but we just learn to get on with it.

"But it can be difficult especially for the guys in Dublin to manage their professional life alongside their football. Obviously both as you progress in your professional career eat up your time. Both are eating into each other and it can be tough for the guys but in fairness to them they put a lot of stuff into their lives to make sure they can manage both because naturally enough if you're a competitive footballer, you're trying to progress both on and off the field and it can kind of be conflicting at times. But we've done really well over the last couple of years in managing that by both sides of the country."   

He also feels that Mayo have been consistent when it comes to Championship time with the exception of last season when Galway beat them in Connacht, although Stephen Rochford's side did make it all the way to the All Ireland final.

AIB today marked the third year of its proud sponsorship of the GAA All-Ireland Football Championship to launch the 2017 season.

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