Derry's Chris McKaigue intends playing for his native county next year having spent the last couple of years Down Under, plying his trade in the AFL with the Sydney Swans.
The 22-year-old is believed to have declined the offer of two rookie contracts with new franchise Greater Western Sydney and the more established Port Adelaide over the past 48 hours, instead setting his sights on staking his claim with John Brennan's Oak Leaf county.
"I've just turned 22 now so I think I am at the right age to play a bit," McKaigue told the Irish Daily Star on Friday night.
"I've a fair bit of experience under my belt and I'm out of the game a fair while. I'm excited about coming back and playing Gaelic football."
The Slaughtneil clubman went on: "I might have played a few games here and there, no doubt, but I don't think you should aspire to playa few games on any team you are in, you should aspire to play all the games.
"I'd have played a few games at Port Adelaide if things had gone well, but it was just too high a risk to re-locate in a different part of Australia and go back for a year.
"It could have been another year of my life when I wouldn't have been ultimately doing what I want to do, which was playing Gaelic football."