Hamilton wants McCabe, but only if committed to football

Hamilton has long wanted to add his former Glentoran team-mate to his panel, but reckons it is still 50/50 whether or not the Fermanagh gaelic player will sign this summer.

McCabe has been without a soccer club since leaving Portadown to concentrate on gaelic last January but, with Hamilton’s offer to rejoin Glenavon, the 31 year-old has to make a decision on whether to turn back to soccer.

“We won’t be signing him if the situation is that he will be going back to play gaelic,” Hamilton told the Mail.

“Last year we might have done that, but it won’t be the case this season. He is either fully committed to soccer or he’s fully committed to gaelic, that’s the way it will be. If he does sign, he’ll be fully committed to us and he’ll be here for at least a full season.

“I’ve wanted to sign Shane for a long time but he’s the only one that I’d like to add to the squad at the minute.

“Obviously if Owen Morrison gets back to fitness, comes back down and impresses me then that might be a possibility too but Shane is the only player I definitely want at the minute.

“That all lies with him. We spoke to him last week so we just need to see what happens and take it from there. At the minute I’d say the chances of him signing are 50/50.

“I’d love to have Shane at the club because he’s a winner and he’s everything that I like in a player. He’s the type of player we’d love to add to the squad.”

On the pitch Glenavon surrendered their 100% pre-season record as they went down 2-1 to recently relegated Lisburn Distillery last Wednesday night, much to Hamilton’s dismay.

He said: “I was unable to attend the game but my backroom staff weren’t happy with the performance and we’ve told the players it wasn’t acceptable. Young players get a chance and they have to make an impression because there are a lot of good players in the squad this season. There are more players for competition so they’ll have to be special to take that chance.”

Teenager Ryan Corrigan had put the Blues ahead with a smashing volley from 20 yards out but after another former Glenavon man, goalkeeper Robert Robinson, had kept out efforts from Guy Bates and Andrew Mitchell, the home side began their comeback and secured the win.