Former Tyrone forward Ronan O’Neill says he does not consider himself an All-Ireland champion despite being part of the Red Hands’ victorious panel last year.

O’Neill came off the bench in the Ulster SFC final win over Monaghan and was part of the 26-man squad for the All-Ireland semi-final victory, but was not part of the matchday squad for the final triumph over Mayo at Croke Park last September.

The Omagh man would announce his inter-county retirement a few months later and, speaking to Sky Sports GAA, he revealed that he doesn’t see himself as a Sam Maguire Cup winner.

"It is a career highlight but if I was to say to you that did I think I won an All-Ireland? I would say probably not, no," said O’Neill.

"You put your life on hold, you make so many sacrifices, you want to play at the end of the day and I got just a half against Kerry down in Killarney in a league semi-final, and I got 10-15 minutes against Monaghan in the Ulster final so it is just my personality but I just don't feel that I warranted enough to say I did enough to win an All-Ireland medal in my own head.

"People congratulating you and stuff, part of me was saying I did not win that, it had nothing to do with me.

"That was my own personal feeling towards it, just because I felt I did not contribute enough on the pitch as a person as I feel I should have contributed. Obviously, maybe my team-mates and other people will say the impact I played behind the scenes or on the training pitch [helped] Tyrone win the All-Ireland.

"As a career overall, over 10 years, of course it is [the highlight]. It is an All-Ireland, it is what everybody strives for. If you asked me for the past year, no, but over the 10 years it definitely would be."

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