Sean Cavanagh: The Obsession

Book excerpt: 'This obsession of mine has brought both joy and torment. The fixation with winning came from within, it roused me and veered on the dangerous.' This is Sean Cavanagh's account of his extraordinary, obsessive drive to dominate his sport. For the first time, we get up close and personal with the lowest ebbs and greatest highs of his career as one of Gaelic football's era-defining players, and with the truth of what it takes to become a three-time All-Ireland and five-time All Star winner. For 20 years, Sean Cavanagh's relentless routine of train-play-repeat fed an insatiable quest for perfection and made him a permanent fixture in the Tyrone team. His fearless, uncompromising style led him to glory, but his obsession also took its toll on body and mind, and on those around him. As well as the highs, there have been some shattering lows: the anguish and doubt of injury, hostility on and off the field of play, the despair at defeat in crucial games, and the nightmare of gossip hounding his family.