By Niall Gartland

IT’S little wonder that Eoin McElholm has scooped the U-20 Footballer of the Year award when you consider that the Loughmacrory starlet is already tearing it up at senior intercounty level.

Now in his second year at senior level, it’s expected that McElholm will play a part in Sunday’s All-Ireland group stage finale against Cavan at Brewster Park – and he says that playing alongside Darren McCurry and the Canavan brothers, Darragh and Ruairi, has been an immensely enjoyable and educational experience.

McElholm, who yesterday was named as u-20 Footballer of the Year, said: “Practice always helped from when I was no-age, going up to the pitch with a bag of balls and kicking as many scores as possible.

“It’s just about picking wee tips off them and looking at their strengths and what works for them and trying to implement it into my game. When I do come on the pitch, just have the biggest impact I can in that short period of time.

“It’s an absolute honour to play with them boys. They’re unbelievable. The two Canavans and Petey (Harte) and Darren, they’re just boys you watch growing up. Now playing with them and learning different tips and skills, it’s a complete pleasure.”

McElholm has packed a lot into his burgeoning career. To give a flavour, he won back-to-back Ulster Minor titles in 2021 and 2022, captained Omagh CBS to MacRory and Hogan Cup honours in 2023, and has played a starring role in the u-20’s amazing run of success over the course of the last two seasons.

Now he’ll be hoping to achieve similar success as part of Malachy O’Rourke’s senior set-up, but Tyrone can’t afford to take their eye off the ball in Sunday’s third and final group stage tie against Cavan this Sunday with much left to be determined in an exciting conclusion to the round-robin series.

“It’s a knockout game, that’s what way you have to look at it as. It’s an elimination game now. You have to prepare for it as if it’s your last basically. The main thing is getting a performance. The result will depend on the day.”