The long running Seánie Johnston transfer saga has taken yet another twist with the path now opening for a return to his native Cavan. Limited to a substitute role with Kildare this summer, Johnston’s former team-mate Cian Mackey said he would “gladly see him back” in Cavan next year, and there is increasingly speculation that will be the case.

Having endured a lengthy transfer process to the Kildare club St Kevin’s, Johnston has made himself unavailable for their upcoming county championship game against Monasterevan: while Johnston’s exact intentions remain unclear, Mackey has no doubt he’d have a part to play in Cavan in 2014.

"He would give another bite of teeth to our attack," says Mackey, who was named GAA/GPA footballer of the month for July, "and possibly could have been the difference for us against Kerry on Sunday. (He) is a class act, a very good footballer."

Mackey was a lot more certain when asked about the now infamous Seán Cavanagh tackle on Monaghan’s Conor McManus during Tyrone’s quarter-final win on Saturday: “I’d do the exact same,” said Mackey.

“If every footballer’s honest, they’d tell you the exact same thing. It’s win at all costs. It’s horrible if you’re on the receiving end but that’s what happens. That’s the way football is.”