With the benefit of hindsight, Kevin Cassidy now believes his controversial axing from the Donegal senior squad by Jim McGuinness back in 2012 may have been a blessing in disguise.

The 37-year-old missed out on the county’s second Sam Maguire Cup title win but Gaoth Dobhair’s historic Ulster Club SFC success today more than compensated for that disappointment.

“I’m a great believer in what’s for you won’t go past you,” he told BBC Sport.

“If I was to stay playing three, four, five years with Donegal, I don’t think the body would have been able to play here today. The man above was looking after me, put it like that!” he quipped.

The veteran was coaxed out of retirement earlier this year by his brother-in-law Mervyn O’Donnell and played a starring role at full-forward in the extra-time victory over Scotstown.

“To be honest I’m just waiting to wake up. It’s unbelievable, it won’t sink in until the next week or two when we sit down and we can look back on it.

“It’s fantastic for us players but when you look around here it’s more important for those people who are with us time after time and travel to games.

“GAA is everything in our parish and to be kings of Ulster heading into December it’s just...

“These moments are just unbelievable. To share it with the lads, the family and friends, it will live with us forever.”

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