Following his departure from the Donegal panel, Eamon McGee reveals how his relationship with club-mate Kevin Cassidy deteriorated, after the latter was dumped off the county squad.
Cassidy was removed from the panel in 2012 by then manager Jim McGuinness as punishment for revealing in-camp secrets in a book entitled This Is Our Year. In retrospect, McGee says the decision was 'over the top.'
Writing in his new Irish Daily Star column, McGee says that due to his late return to the squad, he felt unable to support his team-mate at the time:
"When (Declan) Bogue’s book came out it was so hard for me to back Kevin up. I’d just got back into the squad. Was I going to jeopardise my own position? But I know Kevin was very hurt that myself and Neil – his club men – didn’t back him up. There was a time when things were very, very raw."
"We were in the local pub one night and started chatting football. The whole thing came up. There was a bit of aggro and we were getting deep into it. We had to be separated, which was lucky for me, as I’d have had the head kicked off me."
"I read the book, and I think Kevin knew it was his last year. He says he has no regrets over it, but I wonder does he regret not waiting another while before doing one? Jim’s reaction too was an over-reaction, but it’s such a shame that, after all we’d been through, myself and Kevin fell out over that book.I owe Kevin a lot. He probably doesn’t even realise how much I owe him."
His revelations triggered contrasting reactions on Twitter.
Very raw and honest column from @EamonMcGee in tomorrow's @IrishStarSport on his painful rift with clubmate Kevin Cassidy #GAA
— David Coughlan (@canalend) September 9, 2016
Did we? As good a topic as any for my column tomorrow. https://t.co/CEBWcRsmzm
— Eamon Mc Gee (@EamonMcGee) September 9, 2016
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