Sludden hungry for more after success on club and county front in 2021

ULSTER SENIOR FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP QUARTER-FINAL

Tyrone v Derry

Sunday, O’Neill’s Healy Park, 4pm

By Niall Gartland

IT’S fair to say a lot of water has passed under the bridge since Niall Sludden made his championship debut in a successful outing against Derry at Celtic Park in 2016.

Seismic victories, bitterly disappointing defeats, the end of the Mickey Harte years and the advent of the Logan-Dooher era, the pandemic and everything that went along with it.

Change is inevitable in life, but it can have a wearying impact on people. Sludden’s enthusiasm for the game is undiminished, however, and he hopes to make the most of his remaining years in a Tyrone jersey (he turns 30 this year).

“It’s mad, I came in a bit later to my career in Tyrone than some of my teammates, I’m turning 30 which is crazy. You don’t have many players now over that 30 mark but I feel good and age is only a number as long as I feel I have something to offer Tyrone and the team, and helping the younger players too.”

Maybe it’s too early to call it a ‘career peak’, but Sludden will be doing well to better the achievements of 2021. He excelled in Tyrone’s run to a fourth-ever All-Ireland title and was deservedly awarded an All-Star, and the cherry on top was Dromore’s Senior Championship triumph back in November. Psychologically, it can’t be easy setting all that to one side?

“I haven’t found it too difficult really,” he said. “Being in the circle, you want more and you’re always greedy, you’re not satisfied with achieving that.

“A lot of people tell me when you come back to look at it when you retire, it’s going to be unbelievable to look back on. But it’s now 2022 and your sporting life is very short, I’m just ready to go back and hopefully push on this year.”

Looking back at his championship debut against Derry in 2016, it was a bit of a cake-walk as Tyrone cruised to a 3-14 to 0-12 victory that day. Sludden wasn’t the only prominent Tyrone player to make his debut that day as captain Padraig Hampsey and vice-captain Kieran McGeary also played their first championship match for the county at senior level. Sludden, a Primary School teacher in Newtownbutler, says it’s something of a distant memory at this stage.

“That one seems like a long time ago to be honest. I don’t know if it’s because of Covid and different things happening, but that does seem a long time ago. I was actually teaching in Coleraine at the time, it just feels like a lot has happened since then. It was a very special moment for me and everyone in my family.”

He’s known only good times against Derry in his career – Tyrone claimed further Ulster Championship victories over the Oakleafers in 2017 and 2019 – but they’ve made improvements since Rory Gallagher came on board as manager ahead of the 2022 season.

Gallagher’s side have been waiting in the long grass for this match and Sludden knows Tyrone will need to be switched on after taking an alarming amount of time to come to grips with Fermanagh in the preliminary round.

“It’s a massive game for both of us, they’re in Division Two and were unlucky not to get promoted. They’ll have their eyes set on this game but we’re looking forward to it too, it’s going to be a challenge.

“Every time you get past the next stage in Ulster it’s only going to get tougher.

“We know our performance against Fermanagh isn’t going to do against Derry, but we’re aware of that and know it’s going to be a big one.”