Ulster Senior League manager Anthony Gorman has confirmed a 20-man squad for the forthcoming FAI Intermediate Inter-League Tournament.
The tournament is being held in Galway from November 17-19 and Gorman, in his first year as USL team manager, has finalised his panel.
Five-in-a-row USL champions Cockhill Celtic have nine players included in the squad with Letterkenny Rovers next up with six.
There are two players from Fanad United and Derry City and one from Bonagee United.
“The League’s quality has never been better,” Gorman said.
“There is a passion in this county to have intermediate football in Donegal. We have great quality here in the seven teams and we’ll look to be competitive in the Interpros.”
Malachy McDermott, the FAI Intermediate Player of the Year in 2013, is back from injury and is included in a squad that includes the likes of Sean McCarron, Garbhan Friel, Mark Moran, Laurence Toland and Oisin McMenamin, who have been in fine goal-scoring form of late.
Gorman was part of the management team headed by Peter Moran last year. Michael McHugh of Swilly Rovers and Cockhill player-manager Gavin Cullen are Gorman’s assistants.
Last year, the USL missed out on the title following a final day defeat to Munster.
The Ulster Senior League won the Michael Ward Trophy in 2013 and 2014, having previously tasted glory in 1998.
Gorman said: “This tournament is right up there for prestige. There has been a change of mindset from the players in the last five or six years, a change in attitude and lifestyle – they now see being selected for this as an honour and it should be an honour.
“The standard has been raised and the players have to take credit for that. It’s been great for young players to have the likes of players coming down from senior level to play in the USL.”
Ulster Senior League squad, FAI Intermediate Inter-League Tournament: Rory Kelly (Letterkenny Rovers), Gavin Cullen (Cockhill Celtic), David Shovlin (Letterkenny Rovers), Conor Tourish (Letterkenny Rovers), Peter Doherty (Cockhill Celtic), Lee Toland (Letterkenny Rovers), Johnny Havlin (Cockhill Celtic), Sam Todd (Derry City Reserves), Adrian Delap (Derry City Reserves), Jimmy Bradley (Cockhill Celtic), Ronan Doherty (Cockhill Celtic), Michael Funston (Bonagee United), Malachy McDermott (Cockhill Celtic), Laurence Toland (Cockhill Celtic), Mark Moran (Cockhill Celtic), Tony McNamee (Fanad United), Pajo Rafferty (Letterkenny Rovers), Oisin McMenamin (Fanad United), Sean McCarron (Letterkenny Rovers), Garbhan Friel (Cockhill Celtic).
FAI Intermediate Inter-League Tournament Fixture
Friday, November 17, 2017, 7.45pm
Leinster Senior League v Ulster Senior League Mervue
Connacht Football Association v Munster Senior League Eamonn Deacy Park
Saturday, November 18, 2017, 2.30pm
Ulster Senior League v Connacht Football Association Eamonn Deacy Park
Munster Senior League v Leinster Senior League Mervue
Sunday, November 19, 2017, 11.30am
Leinster Senior League v Connacht Football AssociationEamonn Deacy Park
Munster Senior League v Ulster Senior League Mervue
