Moran to play on for a 16th season

Mayo forward Andy Moran has confirmed he will play a 16th season of inter-county football in 2018.

The Footballer of the Year nominee, who turns 34 in November, says he will continue representing his county until his manager or his team-mates advise him to retire.

The Ballaghderreen man won a eighth Connacht title this year, but All-Ireland success still eludes him and his Mayo team-mates. 

Mayo's one-point final defeat to Dublin on 17 September was the Yew County's fourth final defeat in six years, and ninth since 1989.

"This thing about quitting, I'll go when the likes of Stephen Rochford and them boys run me," he said.

"I suppose that’s kind of the way we were brought up, from the town we’re from. 

"So I don’t think I've ever had in my head that I’d ever quit. If Jenny my wife backs me, and my life kind of goes with it, there’s no reason why I wouldn't go back, to be honest."

Moran, who has now been on the losing side in an All-Ireland final six times, says he is looking forward to "going at it again" when the National League resumes in February 2018.

"We're in a very privileged positon," the Castlebar native, who made his Mayo league debut in 2003, continued.

"We're from Mayo, as you know, we're a bit nuts, as they say. And our first League game next year, we'll probably have 15,000 people at it in McHale Park.

"That definitely makes it a bit easier. It definitely make it a bit easier that the supporters and players are aligned in where they want to go to and what we want to get.

"Is it as easy as just saying: 'let's go again?' It’s not. You have to go away and you have to reflect and see where you're going to go yourself in terms of your family life and your work life and stuff like that.

"But in terms of football, this is what we do. This is what we love. So we just go at it again."

Missing the Championship already? eir Sport will broadcast up to 30 games from the AIB GAA Football and Hurling Club Championships in 2017. Coverage continues on Friday, 29 September on eir Sport 2 with the Dublin club football championship quarter-finals between St Vincents and St Sylvesters [throw-in 6.45pm] and Castleknock and Kilmacud Crokes [throw-in 8.15pm] from Parnell Park. On Saturday, 30 September, eir Sport 2 are showing the Kilkenny club hurling championship quarter-finals between O'Loughlin Gaels and Erins Own [throw in 2pm] and Ballyhale Shamrocks and Clara [throw in 3.45pm] from Nowlan Park. Later on Saturday, eir Sport are showing the Donegal club football championship semi-final between Naomh Conaill and Gaoth Dobhair [throw in 7.30pm] from MacCumhaill Park. 

Image: Inpho/Tommy Dickson

eir Sport channels are available across the eir Vision, Sky and Vodafone TV platforms as well as on the eir Sport app. All 7 channels in the eir Sport pack are available for free if you are a residential eir broadband customer.