Derry footballer Conor Glass in attendance for the announcement of the FRS Recruitment GAA World Games launch at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile.
By John Harrington
Conor Glass has declared himself fit to play for Derry against Monaghan in Saturday's Ulster Senior Football Championship semi-final.
The all-action midfielder sustained a hamstring injury against Dublin in the Allianz Football League Division 2 Final and was a doubt for their Ulster quarter-final against Fermanagh.
He was eventally passed fit for that game but went off after 40 minutes with what seemed like a recurrence of the nerve issue in his hamstring.
The Glen club-man admits it was the same hamstring, but is now back in full training ahead of the Monaghan match.
"It was the same (hamstring), aye," said Glass today at the launch of the FRS Recruitment World Games in Croke Park.
"Not anything to the extent out there (Croke Park) but. Thankfully it's all good, I've had a full week's training under my belt now.
"It (his substitution against Fermanagh) was more precautionary than anything. It's been a long year, two years, for me so any chance I can take to get a break I'll try to take it."
Conor Glass of Derry leads his side out, alongside Derry manager Rory Gallagher, before the Ulster GAA Football Senior Championship Quarter-Final match between Fermanagh and Derry at Brewster Park in Enniskillen, Fermanagh. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile.
Glass has had precious litle time to reast this season because a week after his club Glen were defeated by Kilmacud Crokes in the AIB All-Ireland Club SFC Final he lined out for Derry in the Allianz Football League against Limerick and has been playing county football ever since.
"People were probably sceptical, but that was my way of getting over the club final," says Glass of his decision not to take a break from the game.
"There was so much media noise and so much else going on, so any chance I could get to get over with I was going to take it."
Glass is unused to dealing with musclar injuries and admits he'll have to carefully manage his hamstring for the reason of the championship campaign.
"100 per cent, aye, it's a long season ahead too so I'll try to manage it as best I can," he says. "I've never had any muscle injuries before, touch wood.
"That's probably a testament to all the strength and conditioning people I've dealt with throughout the years. Yeah, just the season I've had really I haven't had a break to recharge the batteries."
Glass is proud that his native county will host the FRS Recruitment World Games in July, and expects it to be a special occasion.
"Derry is an amazing county," he said. "The culture in Derry is magnificent and the 105 teams that travel here are going to experience that. We're thankful to have the facilities we do in Owenbeg, we'll have six pitches available for it. We're a massive GAA County in general, Hurling, Camogie, football, and ladies football.
"July 24th to July 28th is going to be special. We've had All-Ireland Féiles in the past in Derry which were great occasions too, but to have teams from all over the world coming is going to be a great lift."
