"I'd love to give it another go but I don't know if I can"
January 17, 2015
Derry goalkeeper Thomas Mallon makes a great smothering save to deny Longford's Paul Barden.
©INPHO/Presseye/John McIlwaine.
With 16 inter-county seasons under his belt, Longford's Paul Barden admits his inter-county future hangs in the balance.
An ever-present on the midlanders' senior squad since making his league debut as an 18-year-old back in 1998, the Clonguish clubman still gets a thrill when he pulls on the Longford jersey but an Achilles tendon injury could leave him with no option but to hang up on the boots.
"I'll be making up my mind over the next few weeks," he revealed to The Irish Independent.
"I'd love to give it another go but I don't know if I can. I'll be listening to what the body is saying and talking to the people close to me before deciding what to do. Even if I am to play on, it would be two or three months before I'd be ready."
If the injury spells the end of his days with Longford, Barden would miss the enjoyment he gets from playing inter-county football.
"If you're not enjoying it all, why would you do it?
"I have always regarded playing for my club and county as a huge honour. We haven't won a whole lot at county level, but the thrill of pulling on the Longford jersey remains as strong now as it was when I started.
"The fun never goes out of it when you're looking forward to match day."
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