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Cathal McCarron
GAA gambling addict Cathal McCarron has been lined up for a sensational return to county football, we can reveal.
The Sunday World has learned McCarron, who was also exposed in a gay porn video earlier this year, has had meetings with the Tyrone County Board hierarchy including manager Mickey Harte.
And the troubled 26-year-old could be ready to line out for the ‘red hands’ in just a few months.
McCarron has had a nightmare past year after allegations emerged about him being caught red-handed in the home of a fellow GAA player while he was out playing in a match.
And things got much worse when it was revealed he took part in a gay porn movie in the UK which appeared on the internet.
The talented defender from Dromore quit his base in London after the porn story broke and returned back to Ireland where he underwent addiction therapy and counselling at a special rehab centre in Newry.
According to sources he’s worked extremely hard and has “earned the right to be welcomed back into the senior team fold,” said a source.
“It’s all very low key at the minute because it’s months before the season actually gets under way but he’s back in the fold.
“Cathal has done a lot of work since April when he came back from London and he’s ready to put his Tyrone shirt back on.
“He’s been invited to train with the senior players in pre-season training – mostly strength and conditioning work,” said the GAA source.
“Most of the sessions will be behind closed doors in the gym in Garvaghey. He’s too good a player to leave out and if he gets his off-field problems sorted he’ll be a great addition to Mickey Harte’s team.
Award
“There’s no doubt he was missed this summer – don’t forget he was nominated for an All-Star award the season before things went off the rails for him.”
Garvaghey is Tyrone’s new £5m training centre and it’s understood sessions have already begun there in preparation for next season.
It’s early days and Tyrone won’t play a competitive fixture until January in the Dr McKenna Cup.
It’s thought Mickey Harte could use him in that tournament – generally used to blood young talent – to integrate him back into the squad before the league season starts in February.
McCarron has become active again on his Facebook page and in August, after eight months of posting nothing at all, he changed his profile picture to the crest of Dromore.
A month later he changed it again to a photo containing a poignant message.
No doubt referring to his tough year the message stated: “Sometimes we must be hurt in order to grow. We must fall in order to know. We must lose in order to gain. Because some lessons in life are best learned through pain.”
Sources in Tyrone say McCarron has been getting support behind the scenes from the wider GAA family.
“He’s made some bad mistakes but he’s entitled to another chance if he proves himself,” they said.
“Mickey has helped him before when his gambling problems got out of hand years ago and he’ll never turn his back on a player who has made a genuine attempt to sort his problems out.
“Cathal needs to play football as well because it’s the thing in life he does best. If he can focus on his football, it’s bound to help his recovery.
“He has plenty of support in Tyrone. When the porn stuff came out a Facebook page supporting him got thousands of people signed up to back him.
“There’s no doubt it’s going to be hard for him going back into the dressing room but I think he’ll have the full support of his team mates.”
The Tyrone GAA star graced Croke Park several times in 2013 as he helped Mickey Harte’s team reach the All-Ireland semi-final.
But after leaving Ireland to start afresh in England he transferred to lowly second division London side Round Towers.
Last year we revealed how he had left Ulster following an embarrassing incident where he was caught in a friend’s house without permission.
It was suspected he was there to find cash to feed his gambling habit but he was caught red-handed by a neighbour.
In February McCarron seemed to have his rehabilitation on track when he lined out for county side London in a match against Wicklow in a Division Four league game.
But his world came crashing down when he was exposed online for taking part in a hardcore gay porn movie on a pay-per-view sex channel.
The embarrassing aftermath left people concerned for the young footballer and senior players from the Tyrone county team travelled to London to bring him back to Ireland.
It was reported that before he left he apologised to his team mates at London Round Towers for his bizarre behaviour.