By Michael McMullan

KEEPING players injury free is the important factor for Derry, says defender Eoin McEvoy.

The Rossa man also feels Derry are very close to the top teams if they can get a run with everyone on board.

Speaking at last week’s Ulster University scholarship launch, he is positive about the county season coming down the tracks under new manager Ciarán Meenagh.

“Ciarán would have a lot of respect for the boys and boys would respect Ciarán,” McEvoy said.

“This year, we’re hopeful that we can get boys on the pitch injury free, that’s probably the biggest thing.”

Derry were relegated from Division One before bowing out of the All-Ireland group stages last year, without winning a game in 2025.

“Over the successful periods, we nearly had everyone playing, everyone fit,” McEvoy said.

“The division was so ruthless. Whenever the new boys are blooded in and you’re not winning, maybe it just has a negative cycle. Having your best players on the pitch most nights of the week is probably vital.”

McEvoy pointed to the close shave they had in defeat with Kerry, being close to Tyrone, drawing with Galway and coming up short against Donegal from a winning position.

“If you win the first couple of games and you have the points, maybe you’re not as stressed, maybe you’re not as hell-bent on winning,” he added.

“The last couple of games could have been a bit different because you would have been a lot closer to being safe, so you naturally would have just played better.”

Looking at the All-Ireland group stages last year, McEvoy believes there isn’t much separating the top teams in the country.

“We are very close to these top teams,” he said. “If we can get everyone on the pitch, playing at their highest level, we know where we can go.

“We were very close to Dublin, Con (O’Callaghan) came back for that game. We were only two points away.

“We drew with Galway, Galway beat Armagh by a point, so you see how tight it is and you see how fine the margins are. Everyone says that but you wouldn’t really realise it until you actually experience it.”