McConville expects O'Neill return 'sooner than later'

Oisin McConville is optimistic his nephew Rian O'Neill's absence from the Armagh squad will not prove lengthy after he missed the All-Ireland champions' opening Allianz Football League Division One defeat by Galway.

Following the Salthill game, Kieran McGeeney told reporters that the Crossmaglen man was "taking a few months to himself", adding: "I don't know whether it's weeks or months".

However, Oisin McConville told The GAA Social on BBC Sounds that he expects to see O'Neill playing for Armagh again before too long.

"I imagine he'll be back in sooner rather than later," said McConville.

Wicklow manager McConville added that O'Neill taking a break now could benefit Armagh in the long run.

"The more he's able to stay away for whatever length of time it takes and to go back in and be fully committed [the better] because if you're not fully committed in an inter-county set-up then you're going to get found out."

McConville praises McGeeney

McConville framed O'Neill's decision in the wider context of stars such as David Clifford, Jack McCaffrey and Paul Mannion opting to take breaks from the inter-county game.

McCaffrey and Mannion both stepped away from the Dublin squad for lengthy periods before recommitting and have declared themselves unavailable again while Kerry's Clifford has sat out the early rounds of the Football League in recent seasons and wasn't set to play in Sunday's scheduled opener against Donegal which was postponed.

"There are quite a few lads who are stepping away, taking a break, retiring too early," added McConville.

"If you look at Clifford, him and Rian are very, very similar in profile, ability and the fact that they probably do have a lot of focus and attention on them and it's up to you how you deal with that."

McConville also backed Kieran McGeeney's support for O'Neill in allowing him to take some time out.

"The game that we play, we're under no illusions about how much commitment it takes to play this game. Plus the fact that it's amateur.

"There are other strands to life. Whether you want to take a break, whether you want to walk away, that is entirely your choice. And the fact that Geezer [McGeeney] has given him the freedom to do that is a positive from his point of view."