New Slaughtneil manager Terence McWilliams is hoping veteran midfielder Patsy Bradley will recommit for another season.

McWilliams has known Bradley since he was part of the Slaughtneil minor team which the Kilrea man managed to a Derry MFC title in 2000.

"The first boy I'll be talking to is Patsy - I'd hope Patsy could commit to another year," McWilliams told the Irish News.

"You look at the rest of those boys, 21, 22, 23… there's serious potential there. You don't reach maturity until 28, 29 years of age, and keeping Patsy on board is very important too because he is a key leader there.

"I have a very close affinity with the club - I'm half Slaughtneil man myself; my uncle David McKenna helped start the club, and I would know the likes of Patsy, Paul Bradley and Barry McGuigan from that minor team."

The former Ulster Council games development manager admits he has a big challenge on his hands following the success Slaughtneil enjoyed under his predecessor Mickey Moran.

"I was out for a walk last week and bumped into Hannah Shields [the first ever Irishwoman to conquer Mount Everest] and I asked her why she did that and she said 'because of the challenge'.

"They'll all have to put in an extra level to get over the line [on the All-Ireland stage], and how I manage that is critical. But they're not far away."

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