Captain Loftus fighting his way back into the starting team

The Mayo GAA intermediate club champions Crossmolina are looking forward to the upcoming All-Ireland semi-final this Saturday. Everyone involved with the club will be happy to hear, that the Deel Rovers skipper Mikie Loftus is fighting his way back into the team.

It has been anything but a smooth year 2024 for Crossmolina captain Mikie Loftus. He has captained his club to county and provincial titles but has had an up-and-down year on the pitch.

“I played a couple of league games at the start of the year, but I injured my hip around May and I was out for about six weeks. So I was watching a lot of training on the sideline, which is tough,” Loftus tells The Mayo News ahead of the All-Ireland intermediate semi-final.

READ: 'We're back where we belong' - Crossmolina players react to winning Connacht title

Loftus then got for a couple of games before injuring his hip again. It was clear that he needed more sophisticated help, so he went to see specialists in Dublin and they recommended injections into the hip, which he got done in Galway in July. Since then, the hip has been a lot better, but getting back into the team has been an even bigger struggle.

“It kind of took weeks to get back up to fitness, and the lads have been playing very well,” says Loftus. “And when a team is winning, it’s hard to break into a team. It’s tough watching on sometimes.”

The captain has been doing everything to get back playing. Pilates and yoga classes form part of the rehab process.

“You definitely feel a bit older when you’re needing to do all this extra stuff. I’d love to be like some of the young fellows again. I’m definitely on the other side of the fence,” the 32-year-old says.

“I haven’t been starting a lot in the championship. I’ve been coming on the odd time, some games here and there and I’m training well at the minute and I’m doing everything I can. I’m definitely feeling good. Whatever they decide, I’ll be happy enough to come on or start whatever is needed,” says Loftus, who is a grandson of local GAA legend Dr Mick Loftus.

The upcoming All-Ireland semi-final is unchartered territory, even for an experienced club player like Mikie Loftus. For games in Mayo, opponents are fairly familiar. But for games outside the county, Loftus admits ‘it’s a bit of going into the unknown’.

“There’s an excitement to that,” he adds. “And, you know, there’s a bit of freedom when you’re playing. You kind of have to adapt on the day, like changing positions and changing the way people are marking up.”

Fixture:

All-Ireland Intermediate Club Championship

Crossmolina v Caragh

SATURDAY, JANAURY 4, PEARSE PARK, LONGFORD, 1pm