O'Neill likes to shoot on sight

April 26, 2013

Tyrone's Stephen O'Neill. INPHO
Stephen O'Neill is inclined to get his shot away as soon as the opportunity presents itself.

While some forwards try to work the best opening possible, O'Neill is happy to have a go as soon as he gets a sight of the posts:

"I just shoot," the 2005 Footballer of the Year says in The Irish Sun. "There's no point trying to run away from two or three defenders - if you have half a yard you may as well take the shot and go with it.

"Some of the boys give me stick and say I just shoot on sight but I think if you feel you can do it you should just go and give it a rattle.

"A dead ball is sometimes better than dropping it into the 'keeper's hands, especially at that late stage of the game. You'd be thinking that if the ball goes dead, we can get ourselves in position again."

O'Neill, who is in a rich vein of form as the Red Hands prepare to face Dublin in Sunday's league final, is happy that he has put his injury hell behind him:

"I feel good. Thankfully a lot of the injuries that I had are gone and I'm free enough of them this year. I'm able to do all the training and I'm just happy enough that I feel good and fresh and I'm glad to be able to take part.

"I had a couple of years of very bad luck but that happens I suppose. You'd always have a couple of niggles here and there through the year. But this year it's going okay.

"It's tough going when you're picking up injuries all the time and you can't get rid of them. It's tough not being able to train, it gets you down at times. But hopefully they're cleared up for a while."

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