Hughes closes in on another medal
November 26, 2013

Tyrone's Kevin Hughes
Former Tyrone midfielder Kevin Hughes is hoping to add to his impressive medal collection on Saturday.
An All-Ireland winner at minor, U21 and senior level with the Red Hands, Hughes has found success much more difficult to come by at club level. But after helping his beloved Killeeshil to a long-overdue Tyrone JFC title this year, he now has his sights set on adding an Ulster club JFC medal at the expense of Monaghan champions Emyvale.
"My only championship title with Killeeshil was back in '98, when we won the grade two minor double, and the same year, I won Vocational Schools Ulster and All-Ireland, and minor Ulster and All-Ireland," the 33-year-old explained in the Irish News.
"At that time, I would have put them all on a level par, and I'm sure any county player would say the same, that to play along with the boys that you grew up with, kicked about with at school, out in the fields around the parish, is special. Fifteen years later, it feels the same thing.
"When we got beaten in the junior final two years ago, a right few of the boys around my own age retired after that, and we struggled big-time last year, as results showed, in intermediate football.
"I have had a few injuries as well over the years and it was a struggle to get back out this year, but I have had a good pre-season and I could see from early on, once big Seamie (Seamus McCallan) took over, the lads were keen to put in the effort.
"We knew we had come close two years ago, and we felt we had a good squad there, a mixture of youth and experience, so it was very tempting to give it one more year."
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