McGuigan just glad good times are here again

Ian O'Riordanon the Tyrone forward's incredible journey back from two freak injuries to face Kerry on Sunday

ANYONE WHO has wakened up in the middle of night lying face down into the pillow will know it's far from a comfortable position. Imagine having to lie that way for three weeks, prohibited from almost all simple movements, or face certain loss of your right eye.

Imagine, too, that most of the previous year was spent recovering from a double break in your left leg. These aren't the sort of injuries that just end a sporting career; they shatter and sour it and sometimes turn you off your sport for good.

When Brian McGuigan found himself in that predicament just over a year ago, what initially kept him going was the prospect of Tyrone making another All-Ireland, even if he would be forced to miss it. Two weeks into the period of incapacitation, on August 4th, they played Meath in the All-Ireland quarter-final - and lost by two points.

McGuigan had a television set specially positioned beneath his bed to help pass the time, and suddenly it seemed like a very bad idea. "I was in the bed for around two weeks at that time, looking for a bit of a lift," he says, "but watching Tyrone losing to Meath that day was probably the lowest point of that whole period, actually.

"Everybody was saying it was the finish of this Tyrone team. I try not to remember those times, really, but of course when you have to do it, that's another thing. The doctor told me if I didn't lie face down then I would have no chance with the eye.

"So it was something I had to do. But if I had to go through it again, I don't know. Maybe I'd just give up the eye." Saying that, McGuigan laughs out loud.

Perhaps being light-hearted about it is the only way McGuigan can look back on that period. In April 2006, just seven months after helping Tyrone claim their second All-Ireland title in two years, McGuigan was playing a routine match for his club Ardboe when he sustained the freakish double leg break.

At first doctors were primarily concerned about setting it correctly so McGuigan would at least walk properly again. Further keyhole surgery was required. Forced out of his construction trade for several months, the injury then threatened his livelihood, thus flaming the issue of player welfare within the GAA.

Little did McGuigan realise worse was yet to come. When he finally felt fit enough to play for the Ardboe reserves early last summer, another freak injury - this time to his eye - appeared certain to end his football career.

After several operations to secure the retina, his father Frank, a Tyrone star of the 1980s, reckoned his son might never play football again.

"Just 12 months ago, even to get back on the playing field, was only a dream," says McGuigan. "So to be back in an All-Ireland final is over-the-moon stuff. Because all I ever wanted was to get back playing football. I count myself very lucky to be in this situation.

"From the first day back it put everything into perspective. Whenever you're fit to play you'd take it for granted, but looking back now, you know you have to take the good times as they come.

"I know a lot of people, even in Tyrone, still doubt my ability coming into this final. But then some people were doubting me coming into '05 too. I just have to prove them wrong again. But it's not all about using the critics going into a match.

"You have to do it on your own. At the end of the day, no matter where or how I play, as long as I have another All-Ireland medal in my pocket I don't care.

"But I know how lucky I am, lucky it was Mickey Harte who was there the whole time too, because maybe other managers wouldn't have given me the chance to come back.

"But Mickey stuck by me, the couple of games I got in the league, and the games with my club. It was always going to take time, and I know there hasn't been 70 minutes of a match in me yet this year. But whether I get that or not on Sunday I'm just glad to be there."

It's still just over six months since McGuigan made his celebrated return to the county team as a late substitute in the league match against Laois in Omagh on March 15th.

"The only problem I have is that looking straight ahead I would only have the peripheral vision. I would have to turn my eye across. I have to wear contact lenses in one eye as well. Against Wexford the last day one of the boy's fingers went in, and caused a little problem. I'll have to take a mirror out with me the next day."

Despite such trauma McGuigan hasn't lost his laid-back and slightly roguish attitude towards the big match days. He reckons the loss to Down early on was always only a minor setback, though Kerry, naturally, will fancy beating them on Sunday. You could feel the determination rising in his blood as he said that.

"We know we've never come up against a Kerry team like this before, with those couple of big men at full forward. I don't think any of us are going on the past, comparing it to '03, or '05.

"We just know Kerry have a lot of motivation to beat us, given they've never beaten this team in the championship. I'm sure they're quite confident of beating us."