Eamonn O'Hara would jump at the chance of playing for Sligo again.

The former All Star centre forward has been deemed surplus to requirements by Sligo manager Kevin Walsh this year, and is poised to spend the summer analysing matches on RTE instead.

But speaking at the launch of the national broadcaster's championship coverage yesterday, the Tourlestrane clubman made it clear that he's available and ready if his county needs him.

"I'm still available if Sligo come wanting. I know they are going over to London fairly soon but depending on how that game goes, we'll wait and see how things pan out," he said.

"I'm 37 years of age now and I always said if I had nothing to offer Sligo football, I'd step away. I wouldn't stand in the way of another guy coming through. Unfortunately in Sligo, things are not progressing as I would love to see them coming through.

"Talking to Kevin Walsh down through the years, he always felt there was a role there for me. This year he decided I couldn't give the commitment he was looking for, unfortunately."

O'Hara expects the Yeats County to come through their Connacht SFC clash with London in Ruislip on Sunday week unscathed, despite narrowly avoiding relegation to Division 4 of the Allianz League.

"They had a very, very poor league campaign. I know with their own standards, they set them quite high. I know they were trying to get out of Division 3 this year. That didn't happen.

"They struggled all the way through. Yes, there was a lot of injuries, yes, a lot of guys haven't been involved, but I think going over to London, nothing focuses you more than having a poor league campaign and then having to go over to London. It is a potential banana skin, no doubt about it.

"I think our lads will be prepared for that. I know the GAA refused to let the London lads come over here and have their challenge games. That will be to Sligo's benefit. It will be tough. It was tough for Galway, it was tough for Mayo when they went out there the last couple of years. It'll be tough for us, but I think we'll get over that." Tweet

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