Antrim chairman Dr John McSparran is confident that Liam Bradley will continue as senior football manager next year, despite the prospect of a vacancy arising in his native Derry in the coming weeks.

With Damian Cassidy expected to vacate the Oak Leaf hotseat, there has been speculation that Bradley could be interested in taking charge of his native county. The Glenullin man's sons, Eoin and Paddy, were members of the Derry panel this year, although Paddy quit the panel after being left out of the team for last month's All-Ireland qualifier against Carlow.

Despite Antrim's early championship exit this year, Bradley had made significant progress with the team over the past two years, guiding them to back-to-back NFL promotions and to a first Ulster final appearance in 39 years last year.

"Liam has given us no impression that he won't be there next year," McSparran told the Irish News.

"It was agreed that he will be in place for three years. We usually have a chat at the end of every season. It's the same arrangement with Dinny (Cahill). He agreed a three-year term with the hurlers."

Bradley's assistant and fellow Derryman Niall Conway, who is currently managing Ballinderry, has already indicated that he will be staying with the Saffrons.

"If you look at the two teams that beat us, they're now in the last eight. We probably should have finished Kildare off the first day," he said.

"I think that Antrim has a good future. It's one county that's definitely moving in the right direction. I'm definitely not moving anywhere at the minute." Tweet

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