Richie Donnelly has opened the door for a potential return to the Tyrone football setup in 2025.
The county finalist with Trillick last weekend surprisingly opted out of the Red Hands setup at the start of the season.
He’d made 71 appearances in all and 2025 will mark a decade since the 32-year-old made his Championship debut in 2015.
Midfielder Richie, younger brother of Tyrone star Mattie, was part of the Brian Dooher and Feargal Logan managed panel that won the 2021 All-Ireland.
But speaking on the GPA’s The Players Lives series, he said he used 2024 to focus fully on his Natur and Co social wellness club business.
Asked if he has more in the tank with Tyrone, versatile Donnelly nodded.
“I think there could be,” he said in an interview recorded before last Friday evening’s county decider.
“It very much depends, I have to go and really play to a high level in the club championship, really see where my game is at.
“Obviously with a year out it can be difficult to get back to the level. I still train and prepare to a high level, regardless of who I’m playing for, that’s just how I live my life.
“So I’d be keen to see where I’m at in terms of club championship (form) and see where it goes from there.”
New Tyrone boss Malachy O’Rourke may be interested in a player with a decade of inter-county experience who played in the 2018 All-Ireland final.
Donnelly was limited to seven appearances as a sub across the 2023 league and Championship campaigns.
He impressed after that with his club and starred in the 2023 county final as Trillick regained the title.
Donnelly said there have been ‘dark’ days at times during his ‘quite challenging’ and often injury interrupted county career.
“It is challenging, it is dark,” he said.
“It’s probably different for everyone. But, for me, what it looked like was probably driving to the training ground and you’re like, ‘I don’t want to be here. I don’t want to face it. I’m not training’.
“You’re going there knowing you’re going to lose energy because you’re not on the field with the boys training and it drains your energy, it drains your battery and that has a whole knock on effect into home life, your relationships, your mood, how you show up every day in your life outside of football. That’s what it’s been like for me.”
On his happier moments in football, Donnelly recalled the 2018 qualifier against Carlow when he sniped 1-2.
“We were driving past CityWest and it brought me back to 2003 and 2005 when we would have stayed in CityWest,” he said.
“So, at that stage, a young child supporting Tyrone and mad about football, then to be driving past on the bus, it was nearly like a full circle moment.
“I got a big shift in perspective that day where I just drove past and thought, ‘This is brilliant’.”