Cavanagh fears missing out on Sam Maguire

Sean Cavanagh says he will play a 16th season of inter-county football with Tyrone because he fears missing out on another All-Ireland title.

The Moy clubman, who turns 34 next year, says he has memories of Red Hand team-mates retiring in the seasons before Tyrone's All-Ireland wins in 2003, 2005 and 2008.

"I look and see the age profile of the Tyrone team at the moment, and then I remember guys that retired in 2002, 2004 or '07 and we went on and won All-Irelands the following year, or other titles in other years, and I thought it would be too much of a risk almost," he told the Irish Independent.

Cavanagh feels there is some unfinished business following the one-point All-Ireland quarter-final defeat to Mayo in August, and is looking forward to a National League Division 1 campaign following last season's promotion from Division 2 as champions.

"We were disappointing against Mayo and Mayo probably could have easily won it the first day against Dublin. We probably feel as if we can compete with the top teams," he continued.

"Every year is a new year. We are going to be well tested in the National League next year and that's something the team will embrace and I will be surprised if we don't compete at the top end of it."

Cavanagh says he would almost certainly retired in September if Mayo had added the Sam Maguire to their Division Two title.

"Everyone has that fairytale thing of trying to go out on a high but it doesn't happen to virtually anyone in sport," he said.

"But I had it in my head that if we were to get success this year I probably would have walked away but because it finished on that sour note … if we had won that game and lost the semi-final I probably would have come to the same conclusion to come back too."

Photo (©Inpho/Lorraine O'Sullivan)

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