Hugh McFadden: 'I think the return to games probably gave a bigger shock to the body than I expected'

Donegal vice-captain Hugh McFadden is ‘flying fit’ once again and is ready to face Down on Sunday in Newry in the Ulster SFC preliminary round.

The big midfielder is in his eighth championship season, initially joining the panel in 2014 before making his championship debut a year later against Armagh in the provincial semi-final when introduced for the bench.

He made his first championship start later that summer in the All-Ireland qualifier against Galway. And he has been more or less one of the county’s nailed down midfielders ever since.

By his own admission his failure to finish any of Donegal’s four competitive games this season so far is down to a combination of not being fit enough and not playing well enough.

“I think the return to games probably gave a bigger shock to the body than I expected,” he said this week.
He played just 35 minutes against Tyrone, in the opening day of the Allianz League Division 1 in Omagh, before being replaced by Dáire Ó’Baoill.

He lasted 46 minutes against Monaghan, in the drawn game at MacCumhaill Park, one week later. On this occasion he made way for Odhran MacNiallais.

In the Athletic Grounds, against Armagh, in the other drawn encounter, he was called ashore on the hour mark and subbed off for Caolan Ward.

And the weekend before last against Dublin, in the semi-final, the curly finger was out again. This time the call came on 56 minutes and on came Jason McGee.

“I think there are also just a lot of very good footballers in our panel at the moment," McFadden said this week. "And I probably didn't play incredibly well in some of the games so I deserved the curly finger and I have no issues with any of that."
McFadden is confident with the games and with good training sessions over last weekend in the legs, he is back where he needs to be.

“Thankfully now I'm flying fit and I'll try to put my hand up as best as I can to play this Sunday if I get the privilege of a jersey," he continued. “If I get that honour, I'll try to do my best to get a 70-minute performance.”

In recent seasons he has been employed in a defensive role under manager Declan Bonner and more often than not playing the sweeper role in front of the full-back line. In one or two of the games he played a more conventional midfield role.

“It kind of changes going into a few different games and whatever instructions Declan and the management team give me," McFadden said. “It was pretty obvious during the Dublin game that I played as a sweeper for the majority of that game.

“By and large it is determined by the opposition and who we are playing on a given day. I will know what my role is if I get the jersey this Sunday.”

His latest midfield partner is Caolan McGonagle, with McFadden first lining out alongside Neil Gallagher back in 2015.
“Caolan has been playing for Donegal since 2016 so I'm well aware of how he plays and the quality he has as a player," McFadden said of his wingman. “He has put in some fantastic performances for Donegal over the last 12 to 18 months.

“He also played a lot of league football and he mightn't have got the minutes he would have liked in championship football up until recently but we have played a lot of football together and there's no issues there whatsoever.”

Stringent coronavirus restrictions means playing Gaelic football and all sports has changed drastically since Covid-19 forced the first lockdown 15 months ago.

New protocols and strict training and match day regulations are in place and up to now and most games this season and last have been played behind closed doors and empty stands and terraces.

There were limited attendees of late - 500 in Armagh and 200 at Breffni Park against Dublin.

“The public health regulations are quite strict, so the experience of going to training and going to games is obviously very different to what it was pre-Covid," McFadden says. "Hopefully now within the next God knows what length of time we will be able to phase them out.”

The buzz and excitement of big match days are not present, not alone at the venues and in the stands and the terraces, but in the town and around the venues before and after the games.

“It's sad to say to be honest that we are actually getting used to it," McFadden continues. “You go back as far as the club championship last season was played in front of very few people, and Ulster last year and games to date this season have not had much of a crowd.

“It's definitely not the same. I miss the crowd and I miss the craic. You miss the experiences of places like Clones on a busy day or driving into Ballybofey.

“Even though when you're playing the game you're not too worried but definitely as a fan of the GAA it's not the same without the crowd and that big Donegal cheer.”

Hopefully, that will soon change. On Sunday 500 supporters will be allowed in to watch Donegal and Down at Pairc Esler.