ANTRIM’S senior football team has been hit by the news that three of their key players have jetted off to America for the remainder of the summer.
Patrick McBride, Conor Burke and Paddy McAleer have decided to take up the option of playing football in Boston.
Saffrons boss Frank Fitzsimons held talks with each of the three players earlier this week, but couldn’t persuade them to stay.
However, the manager revealed that the three players left for America with the blessing of the Antrim squad.
“They’re three young lads, 21-years-of-age,” said Fitzsimons.
“Let’s be honest, it’s a great opportunity for them to go and live and play football in Boston.
“What are you supposed to do? It's very hard to turn down. They were keen to go and they went with everyone’s blessing. There was no fall-out or anything like that.
“The lads spoke to some of the older members of the squad – Tony Scullion and Mark Sweeney - and they understood their reasons.”
The news comes just days after Antrim’s shock win over Laois in Round One of the Qualifiers in O'Moore Park.
The loss of the trio will be a major blow to Antrim’s All-Ireland Qualifier prospects as the squad prepares to face Fermanagh at Brewster Park on July 5 in a Round Two clash.
But Fitzsimons has every faith in the squad that remains and will welcome the return of Ricky Johnston and Sean McVeigh for the sequel with the Ernemen.
All Saints midfielder McVeigh returns after serving a one-match ban and Johnston is available again after attending his late father's first anniversary mass last Saturday.
McBride, Burke and McAleer are undoubtedly three of the county’s brightest prospects.
Highly-rated St John’s ace McBride was outstanding in Antrim’s shock win over Laois last weekend, scoring two points, one of which was the insurance point that sunk the Leinster men.
McAleer has been a regular in Fitzsimons’s line-ups since he took the job at the beginning of the season, and the All Saints clubman started against Laois last Saturday.
Conor Burke was one of the St Gall's trio who was dropped for the Laois game.
Burke, CJ and Kieran McGourty did not feature last weekend because they had played a hurling game for their club the night before.
Burke was making tremendous strides in the saffron jersey this season, having nailed down the full-back position after impressing in Division Four this year.
He was Antrim's best player in their eight-point defeat to Fermanagh on May 31, holding Erne dangerman Sean Quigley scoreless from play.
Justin Crozier filled in at full-back last week while Ricky Johnston is another strong option there ahead of the July 5 meeting with beaten Ulster semi-finalists Fermanagh.
CJ McGourty and Kieran McGourty are available again after missing out against Laois.
Along with the three players that arrived in Boston on Wednesday, the Antrim senior panel has suffered many losses over the last 12 months despite the canny efforts of Fitzsimons.
Kevin Niblock, Kevin O’Boyle and Brian Neeson didn’t return to the Antrim set-up this season while Tomas and Michael McCann stepped away during the National League campaign.
Fitzsimons added: "Our squad is still very strong. We'll maybe have a look at one or two U21 players in a couple of in-house games but we'll be ready for the Fermanagh game."
