Offaly forward Cian Johnson says he is being denied his “dream” of playing senior inter-county football.
The teenager is not available for their Leinster Senior Football Championship match against Wicklow on Sunday, due to an Offaly County Board rule which sees all eligible players registered for their U20 team rather than senior.
The general rule allows U20s to play in the senior championship, but once they are involved in the senior championship, they cannot then play for the U20s.
The Faithful’s chairman Tommy Byrne says the decision has been made to ensure players “develop in their own age group”.
Johnson, who has played for Offaly in the O’Byrne Cup games and in the league, told the Independent: “I want to play for the seniors, it’s always been my dream and the senior management want me to play for them but Offaly are just preventing me from doing that.
“I was chatting with the Offaly chairman and his point was I can play for the Offaly seniors for the next 15 years. But you don’t know what can happen with an injury or a loss of form, or a move out of the country. I want to take the opportunity while it’s here.”
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
