**By Paul Keane **
 
He will shortly team up with an American Football team for a novel week-long training stint but had Aidan O'Shea's career panned out just a little different, he may already by a professional sportsman.
 
Seven years ago, as a rookie teenager and rising star of Mayo football, O'Shea was trailed by Australian Rules scouts and spent some time Down Under on trial.
 
By the 25-year-old's own admission, he was not in a good place personally at the time, however, and his ambition of making it in the oval ball game, like fellow county man Pearce Hanley has done since, came to nought.
 
If it is a regret for O'Shea then it is clearly not apparent as he described representing Mayo since then, winning a five-in-a-row of Connacht titles, as like living his dream.
 
Still, when he teams up with the as yet unknown American Football team next month, as part of the AIB backed 'Toughest Trade' documentary, his mind may wander back to when he had a realistic chance of making it in the pro game.
 
"When I went over to Australia at the back end of 2009, I was 19," said O'Shea. "It was an option but to be honest, and I think I've been on record as saying it, that from there to the end of 2010, I was not in a good place (personally) and that interest just kind of fizzled out."
 
Asked if he has any regrets about that situation, O'Shea shook his head.
 
"Not really," he continued. "I'm probably lucky that coming from a county that's competing and, you know, we've had our fair share of good days so I've enjoyed that ride over the last seven or eight years. And some of them might tell you, before going over there, that they love the game but realistically they don't love the game. It's all about being able to play professionally."
 
Back with Mayo, O'Shea prides himself on his professional standards and approach to the game though Armagh manager Kieran McGeeney recently suggested that, compared to various other sports, Gaelic footballers are not 'at the elite end of sport' with regard to training input.
 
"You'd have to try to get his definition of elite athletes off him first," responded O'Shea. "I don't know. Kieran has had experience training with Conor McGregor and people like that. Everyone else has different definitions of what elite is. From my own point of view, I would consider Gaelic footballers as fairly elite athletes. You ask any of the Dublin, Mayo, Kerry lads, they'd consider themselves fairly elite athletes. It would be wrong of me to say otherwise."
 
O'Shea was a key player for Ireland in the International Rules test at Croke Park last November though revealed that he battled a slight groin concern in the closing months of 2015. He said that he has largely overcome the issue and should be able to tog out for Sunday's Allianz league opener with Cork.
 
That's good news for Mayo because new manager Stephen Rochford has already outlined their lengthy injury list ahead of the spring campaign.
 
"I think if you look at the actual injuries, it's kind of imbalanced because we've a lot of forwards and midfielders out," said O'Shea. "It's a strange enough situation. There's a good crew along with the Castlebar boys gone so, yeah, I'd say Stephen might look at using me probably a bit earlier than he would have."

*The Toughest Trade’; a documentary film commissioned by AIB as part of its #TheToughest campaign. For exclusive content and to see why AIB are backing Club and County follow us @AIB_GAA and on Facebook at Facebook.com/AIBGAA  *