Mayo midfielder Seamus O'Shea doesn't believe there is anything new in the targeting of top players.

Speaking to The Irish Independent ahead of Sunday's All-Ireland SFC semi-final showdown with Tipperary, the Breaffy clubman gave his take on the hot topic of debate.

"Has there been any stage in the history of the game where forwards weren't targeted? That's always going on. In every team sport.

"This craic of roaring and shouting at a fella is probably not nice on the eye. But it's not something we do as a team. Other teams do it. We don't get involved. It certainly hasn't happened to me much.

"It doesn't happen around the middle of the field too much anyway They don't say it to me. I am not considered one of the top players. They don't bother.

"It's a big topic at the moment. Obviously teams are going to target the opposition's best player. I think that's always been the case."

Seamus' younger brother Aidan comes is regularly on the receiving end of provocation from opposing teams.

"To be fair to Aidan he doesn't react to it. He's 6ft 4ins and if he throws an arm or something like that he is probably going to be sent off because he is a big man, it is fairly obvious.

"He is cute enough to know he can't react. He just has to keep his head down. He's too important to the team to react to that kind of stuff. It's just something he knows is going to happen. He just gets on with it."

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