A frustrated Shay McGuigan walked away from the Tyrone senior football squad due to a lack of game time.

The Ardboe clubman, a younger brother of All-Ireland winner Brian, quit the Red Hand panel in the wake of their relegation to Division 2 last Sunday along with Patrick McNeice, Dwayne Quinn and Emmett McKenna.

"It's pure frustration," he told Gaelic Life.

"You're coming home every week when the team is named and you're not on it. It's the same boys every week, they're getting their chances and you're not getting yours. I was putting in the same work as they were but wasn't getting out on the field.

"I own my own business, and I was having to leave at five o'clock three or four nights a week for training, away Saturdays as well. You don't mind doing that if you're getting the rewards, but when all you're doing is sitting on the bench, then it makes you question what you're at.

"I hung on and hung on. I was debating leaving after the Dublin game, but I hung on because I thought I was bound to get a chance, and when I got it I was going to take it.

"But then the Cork game came and went and there was still nothing. It was really starting to get to me, but there were only a couple of games left so I thought I'd wait and see how things panned out.

"The Donegal game I thought I'd definitely get a chance, because we were struggling, yet I still didn't get the nod.

"By that stage I had already decided that if I didn't play against Kerry then I was going, because if you're not playing in the League then you're hardly going to be part of the plans for the Championship, so I obviously wasn't part of Mickey's plans for this year."

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