WHEN Tyrone lit up the noughties, they had Brian McGuigan pulling the strings as their playmaker from centre forward. He looks back on some of the moments from a glittering career for club and county.

Teams played for: St Patrick’s Academy Dungannon, Ardboe, Tyrone, Ulster and Ireland.

Current involvement: Manager of Ardboe u-13s

Which club game, that you played in, will you never forget and why?
It would have to be the 1998 Tyrone Senior Championship final. It was a 0-11 to 0-8 win over Omagh and to pick up my one and only county senior medal.

Which club game, that you watched, will you never forget and why?
I remember when Ardboe seniors had to beat Ulster champions Errigal Ciaran to stay up in Division One. I think it was around 1993 or 1994.

Ardboe won by a point and there were unreal scenes at the end of the game.

Which county game, that you played in, will you never forget and why?
It was the 2003 All-Ireland final against Armagh. It was the first time Tyrone lifted the Sam Maguire. With the build up being so intense, the relief at the final whistle was an unbelievable feeling.

Which county game, that you watched, will you never forget and why?
Looking back, it would be 1995 and the day Tyrone had 13 men and beat Derry in the Ulster championship, for obvious reasons.

What was the funniest thing you ever saw in a game?
I remember a dog getting involved for about 15 minutes of an International Rules game at Croke Park 2004.

AWAY TO THE DOGS…A dog gets involved ahead of Ireland’s Tadhg Kenelly in the 2004 International Rules series

What was the strangest thing you ever saw in a game?We were to play Leitrim in Qualifier game and there were firemen trying to clear water off a field. Needless to say it was abandoned.

What was the most memorable performance from a player in a game that you watched?
It would have to be David Clifford or Shane Walsh, take your pick, in the All Ireland this year.

What was the most memorable performance from a player in a game that you played?
I saw so many from Stevie O’Neill over the years, but his 2005 Ulster final performance was a special one.

What did you love about the games you played in?
In the early part of my career, it definitely was the man to man, one-on-one match ups, but that that has  changed.

What did you hate about the games you played in?
In the second part of my career, it was the defensive systems and sweeper, especially in areas where I played and it became very claustrophobic.