Stephen McBrearty
Donegal manager Rory Gallagher has confirmed that Stephen McBrearty will not be involved with the Donegal panel in the championship this summer.
The Kilcar man has opted to leave the squad just two weeks out from Donegal’s championship opener with Antrim, and will head to America for the summer months, although he hasn’t decided on a destination yet.
McBrearty – who was part of the Donegal minor squad that reached the All-Ireland Final in 2014 – has struggled to play regularly at senior level since joining Gallagher’s squad two years ago.
He didn’t feature in the championship last season, while he only made three late appearances as a substitute against Kerry, Dublin, and Tyrone during the league.
“Stephen is gone from the squad,” Gallagher confirmed to the Donegal News this week.
“I think he is hoping to do a bit of travelling, but he hasn’t decided which city he will be going to, or which team he will be joining.
“Everyone has to do what they feel is right for them, and I can understand the temptation for boys to head away.
“We had a talk with Stephen, and he didn’t really think he was going to play much after not getting a lot of game time in the league.
“By his own admission, he felt that he wasn’t happy with his form during the Under 21 championship either.
“He has decided to head away and see a bit of the world.”
While McBrearty hasn’t featured much for Donegal in recent times, he is still a very promising footballer, and showcased his talents last week in the Michael Murphy Sports & Leisure Senior Championship.
The Sligo IT student kicked six points as Kilcar saw off Gaoth Dobhair to get their campaign off to a good start.
He is expected to be back in time for the resumption of the Senior Championship, when Donegal’s interest in the All-Ireland series come to a conclusion.
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