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Manager Sugrue provides update on returning star forward

Laois Wicklow

Donie Kingston returned to the Laois senior football panel eight days ago but it seems we may have to wait a while before we see him in action again.

Speaking ahead of the start of the National Football League this weekend, manager John Sugrue confirmed that although Donie had returned, it will be a few rounds before he is considered for selection.

Sugrue said: “Donie took a break and he went off to play basketball.

“Then he got in contact and we had a discussion about it and now he is back in.

“He has the same criteria to fulfill as everyone else with this and if that all goes to plan, hopefully we will have a productive year with Donie.

“No he’s not a contender to start on Saturday. To be fair there are a lot of lads who put their shoulder to the wheel to date.

“So no I don’t think he is a contender to start. So we will have to see how we go with him from there really.”

The news that Kingston won’t start against Limerick isn’t entirely surprising given that he has missed two months of pre-season training.

In an interview with RTE Sport yesterday, Donie revealed that his younger brother Paul played a big role in encouraging him to return.

Donie said: “Hearing the reports from the camp gave me a the enthusiasm and motivation to go back.

“Paul was encouraging me to come back too, having him there made it easier to make the decision.

“When you have your brother playing for the county too it’s a nice thing to play together.”

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