Tyrone ace Eoin McElholm doesn't rule out potential AFL switch after U20 All-Ireland success
The rising
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Eoin McElholm of Tyrone has admitted he would consider moving to the AFL is more offers came his way
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Tyrone captain Joey Clarke lifts the U20 All-Ireland titel alongside team-mate Eoin McElholm
McElholm starred at home instead of away, and helped
The starlet also made his SFC debut for the county this year under Malachy O'Rourke, and should feature in Sunday's final group stage clash against Cavan in Enniskillen.
McElholm was crowned Dalata Hotel Group under-20 footballer of the year yesterday. Leaving home would be far from easy.
But he is open to any more offers if they come his way.
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He told SunSport: 'It definitely wouldn't be easy to leave.
"But if the opportunity arises again I'd have to definitely debate it, because it's a huge opportunity.
'It's something I'd be interested in doing because I really enjoyed it when I was over there but it's not just a straightforward decision.
'It'd be hard to leave what I have here behind, but I definitely enjoyed the experience out there.
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'I went out for a two week trial with Fremantle andI just gained so much experience about the game and about the professional athlete's life and I really enjoyed it.'
But McElholm is loving life in Tyrone for now. He fired 2-4 for Paul Devlin's men in their 5-16 to 0-17 romp over Louth last month and is one of the hottest young talents in the game.
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The Red Hands lifted
But watching Padraig Hampsey climb the steps of the Hogan stand inspired him to reach those heights at underage level, and he hopes retaining the Clarke Cup can spark more glory on the biggest stage.
He said: 'It was class. I was just a huge Tyrone fan and it was just unbelievable.
'It was an unbelievable experience being up there seeing him lift that and just watching Padraig lift it I just thought, 'that's what I want to do.'
'Now that I'm in with the seniors, everybody's driving in the same direction to win another one.
'It's a great environment to be a part of but I remember watching that game and just thinking 'this is special' and I want to get there someday.
'Everybody in Tyrone getting behind the players and the team, the noise…it was just special times. You never know, down the line hopefully. If we keep going in the right direction we might not be too far away.'
SENIOR IMPACT
McElholm was thrown into the fray in two massive senior games this summer and made a big impact.
He injected huge pace into their attack in their epic Ulster semi-final loss to Armagh, and repeated the dose in their gripping round-robin win over Donegal in Ballybofey.
Just days after their under-20 triumph, he looked on as they fell flat in their shock
Juggling life in two panels is far from simple, but the senior camp has his full focus now.
And their rising star hopes they can bounce back in Sunday's showdown against Cavan and surge into the quarter-finals.
He added: 'Sport can be challenging when things aren't going well mentally, but I'm really enjoying it so far.
'Maybe next year if things aren't going as well for me, I might not enjoy it as much but at the minute I can't complain, to be truthful and I'm really enjoying the seniors under Malachy.
'The Mayo game was definitely a setback, it was just a game we didn't perform in. We were a bit sluggish compared to Mayo.
'They came at us with very big intensity and we just didn't really adapt. We just need to bounce back this weekend and get a good performance.
'We just need to give everything we have and hopefully get over the line.'
Dalata Hotel Group GAA U20 Football Team of the Year:
1.Conan McGarvey (Tyrone)
2. Pádraic Tinnelly (Louth)
3. Joey Clarke (Tyrone)
4. Caolan Donnelly (Tyrone)
5. Tadhg McDonnell (Louth)
6. Callum Daly (Tyrone)
7. Hugh O'Loughlin (Mayo)
8. Seán Callaghan (Louth)
9. James Maguire (Louth)
10. Kevin Muldoon (Donegal)
11. Eoin McElholm (Tyrone)
12. Seanán Carr (Donegal)
13. Ruairí McCullagh (Tyrone)
14. Tomás Kennedy (Kerry)
15. Darragh Beirne (Mayo)
The Dalata Hotel Group is delighted to announce Eoin McElholm of Tyrone as the 2025 Dalata Hotel Group GAA U20 Footballer of the Year. This award recognises McElholm's outstanding performances and transformative impact throughout the championship.
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