Having recently celebrated his 35th birthday, Conor McManus knows he may not have many more years to give to his beloved Monaghan.
Yet, retiring from the inter-county game didn’t enter his mind once the 2022 season came to an end.
Instead, the appointment of his Clontibret colleague Vinny Corey to the Monaghan hot seat only served to whet the appetite to commit to another year with the Farneymen.
Read more: Antrim boss Andy McEntee to explore goalkeeping options after Saffron stalwart confirms retirement
“When you get to this stage in your career, it gets into your head a bit - you know that day is coming,” said McManus.
“Did I ever really sit down and consider pulling out? No, I didn’t.
“You are trying to find reasons to keep going rather than finding reasons to quit. That was my thought process anyway.
“I don’t think I ever really thought that I was going to pull out and not go back for another season. Once you have that hunger and desire to be there and you find a way that your body allows you to, I don’t see why I wouldn’t go back.”
He added: “I don’t know if it is unfinished business - we just didn’t have a great season last year.
“There’s a part of me that just wants to go back and do better. Again, when you feel that you’re able to pull on a Monaghan jersey and contribute to the team, you’ll do that for as long as you possibly can.”
Monaghan retained their Division One status with a stunning last day victory over Dublin in Clones, but their Championship campaign ended with disappointing defeats to Derry and Mayo.
Corey was eventually confirmed as Seamus McEnaney’s successor following a protracted appointment process, but McManus believes his clubmate can revive Monaghan’s fortunes.
“I wasn’t seriously considering retiring anyway, but with Vinny coming in, I don’t think I was ever not going to play for Vinny,” stated McManus.
“I’ve soldiered with Vinny on the field for both club and county for a number of years. He was always going to manage Monaghan at some point in his career.
“I’m lucky enough to get the chance to play under him now.
“Vinny played for Monaghan under a number of managers. He has had success on the field. He always put the team first as a player and he’ll bring that approach to the dressing room and, hopefully, get us playing in a way that does the Monaghan jersey proud.”
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