Slaughtneil star Chrissy McKaigue says there is a huge mental burden that goes with the expectation of success for the Derry club across both football and hurling codes.

Last weekend saw the Robert Emmetts club capture a ninth successive senior hurling championship title in the Oak Leaf County, and many of the same players will gear up again this weekend as they look to defend their senior football championship crown against parish rivals Glen on Sunday at Celtic Park.

Speaking to BBC NI Sport, McKaigue said he doesn’t think there’s another group of players in the country that could do what Slaughtneil are doing week in, week out.

“It’s doable but, without creating a sob story, I sometimes don’t think people within our own club realise how difficult it is,” he said.

“Mentally the burden’s huge. You have to come out week after week and the expectation is in Slaughtneil is that you have to be at the pointy end of competitions every year.

“I’ve said it before and I’m sure I’ll say it again, the group of players we have at the minute are special. There’s no other group of players I don’t think that could do it in the whole of the country.

“They’ve dedicated their lives to the club. They play hurling, they play football and it doesn’t really matter they just give it their all. There’s been good days, there’s been bad days but you can never question the effort and the desire to play with Slaughtneil.”

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