After missing the last seven games with a hamstring injury, Paul Doyle has declared himself fit for Dundalk’s trip to The Showgrounds to face Sligo Rovers on Saturday night.

The Lilywhites have failed to win a game since the 26-year-old limped off in the Louth Derby against Drogheda United at Oriel Park back in July and speaking to Gavin McLaughlin on Friday afternoon, Doyle said that the club’s off-field troubles left him wondering if he would ever kick a ball for Dundalk again.

GMCL: Paul, you’ve been out for ten weeks but with everything that has been going on, it must seem like ten months…
PD: Yeah, it’s been an interesting period, to say the least! From my point of view, it’s frustrating not being involved and not being able to impact stuff on the pitch. It’s been a tough period but it’s good to be back training and in amongst it now.

GMCL: The injury came at a time when you were enjoying a lengthy run in the team.
PD: Yeah, I think I had played around ten games on the bounce. It was good to get a run and hopefully, I’ll be able to make a big contribution now for the last six games.

GMCL: Did you know at the time it was a serious injury?
PD: Yeah, I knew because back in 2022 I was in a similar situation. I was in the team for a good spell and then I picked up the same injury, only on the other side, so when it happened this time around I kind of knew straight away that it wasn’t a good one and I was in for a long spell out.

GMCL: When you’re injured and not able to play, do you pay more attention to the off-field matters?
PD: I don’t know if you think about it more, but I suppose you don’t have that release. When you’re playing, you’re not thinking about anything else so you probably don’t get that hour or two a day to put things to the back of your mind. There’s not much you can do about the off-field stuff anyway. It’s not in our hands and it’s nothing that we can really affect so it’s probably not worth your while thinking about it or stewing on it too much.

GMCL: It’s been a manic week. We looked dead and buried on Monday, but John Temple came in on Tuesday to take ownership of the club. I know he spoke to the players on Thursday and gave you all a bit of clarity about wages and things going forward…
PD: Yeah, exactly. It was important to get some clarity, which is a good thing for everyone at the club, not just players, for the staff and everyone here. It’s up to us now to do our business on the pitch and get out of that position that we’re in at the moment and I think we’ve more than enough to do that.

GMCL: Did it ever go through your head that you might not get another chance to play for the club again?
PD: Yeah, that was a massive worry, especially towards the end of last week and over the weekend. I worked hard to get back on the pitch but on Monday I thought that there might not be a club to play for. That was a big worry but thankfully that’s all been put into the background now and it’s full steam ahead for the last few games. We know what is required and that’s what it’s about now, getting the results that we need to keep us in the Premier Division next season.