You 'gotta' have faith It's May 2001 and a fresh faced Ryan McCluskey takes to the field for his Senior Championship debut against Donegal in Ballybofey.

McCluskey had already announced himself on the big stage as an 18-year-old in an Enniskillen Gaels team that narrowly lost to Crossmaglen in the Ulster Club championship final of 1999. His performance in that final, in the first half especially, marked him down as a class act.

His senior championship debut would merely be a stepping stone to a long inter-county career. We all knew it that day as we stood in the blazing sun of MacCumhnaill Park. Well, we thought we knew it.

What followed was a classic high scoring draw in which Stephen Maguire was at the height of his powers but so too was Brendan Devenney who, in truth, gave the young McCluskey a bit of a lesson on his way to kicking six points.

What does not kill you makes you stronger they say, but this was new territory for McCluskey, how would he react and how would Fermanagh manager John Maughan react?

There was six days between the Devenney 'roasting' and the replay.

A long time for the 20-year-old McCluskey and he readily admits that, in retrospect, the replay was probably the "biggest game" of his career. Maughan kept faith but more importantly Ryan McCluskey kept faith in his own ability, Fermanagh won with a late goal from Mark O'Donnell to steal the game by a point and the previously prolific Devenney scored only a pointed free in 70 minutes.

The cub had become a man.

Not much to write about Twelve years on from the debut, McCluskey sits before me, 32 years on the clock, a father to five month Eva Rose, bearded, bronzed (artificially boosted if you believe all you read on twitter from his team-mates) and ready for another tilt at the Ulster championship.

Time stands still for no-one and in the intervening years he flirted with soccer playing in an Irish Cup final in 2007 only days after burying his father Oliver, played in an All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Mayo in 2004 and an Ulster final replay defeat to Armagh in 2008. Highlights or lowlights, it's hard to call.

However, the potential that we all expected to emerge back in 2001 has done so, as, for example, who can forget in the cauldron of the 2008 Ulster final in front of 33,000 fans, McCluskey made nearly 200 passes and never gave the ball away once. More importantly he was a driving force in that team throughout the league and championship run.

For the past two seasons he has committed solely to the green of Fermanagh and some of his performances in the league especially against Sligo and Meath were McCluskey at his very best, strong, intelligent and leading from the front.

Too valuable to leave in the corner now, McCluskey will have a massive to role to play on Sunday but unlike that replay in 2001 he has no question marks over his ability but just a burning desire to win and progress.

His debut though remains strong in his mind.

"Not much to write about that day," he laughs. "Chasing the shadow of Mr Devenney, it was a harsh learning curve that day a massive step up for me from the few league games that I played prior to that. After the first game, thanks to John Maughan, he gave me the chance to play again and did not bomb me out of the side the following week. I don't think there was a more important game in my career than the replay, I learned from every mistake that day and there was more than one. I looked at it as a massive learning curve, marking one of their better players but John Maughan put me back on Devenney again and thankfully I kicked on from there."

He admits to not enjoying playing corner back but he was there for the next few years most notably in the run to the All-Ireland semi-final when he marked the likes of Stevie McDonnell in the quarter-final and Conor Mortimer in the semi-final games.

By the Ulster final of 2008, he was playing centre half back and having a bigger influence on the game. His football intelligence, coupled with a strong vocal leadership making him a key asset and crucial part of the team. Returning under Canavan 18 months ago after another soccer sabbatical, it was not long before Peter the Great installed him as team captain.

The McCluskey accession former corner back rookie to team leader from number six, has though come about from a massive commitment that goes beyond merely training two nights per week.

He has probably been in the gym three times a week for the past 12 years but equally warns about young players losing sight of the practice on the pitch and spending too long in the gym. It's all about balance, he says.

McCluskey, though, has never lacked commitment to the cause week in week out and like many GAA players he trains like a professional except he fits a week's work in around the training. A new father he acknowledges the help and support of his girlfriend and family and admits that this "life changing event" means time management now plays a big role in his life.

"There was a stage with how the modern game has developed and the demands of the modern athlete, that I had to put the work in to prolong the career and meet the physicality of the game. I have been lucky to work with good managers and get help from different trainers, people who have helped me out. I would be in the gym maybe three times a week but that is now almost compulsory among county sides. But that is the level needed for county football. I suppose I was at it 12 years ago and maybe that put me ahead of the game for a while. It is not easy especially with work, it is tough but that is why we do it, it's times like championship days and the big days, the big crowds at Brewster Park that makes it worthwhile.

You do get a glimpse when away at training camps how it would be to train twice a day, having the right people around you for recovery purposes or for rehab, to live that lifestyle would be a dream for all county players but you know unfortunately we have to work and keep our day to day living with our jobs or university whatever it may be. It is a tough balance, but that's way it is and it is all worthwhile whenever you do win. All the players will say it is about championship football and getting out there and trying to win the elusive medals we don't have."

Every year you put on the jersey Medals or more pertinently the lack of them remains a driving force for all Fermanagh footballers, Ryan McCluskey is no different and that is what now occupies the mind as championship looms and Cavan come to Brewster Park. Despite the passing years without a medal, the desire does not diminish, indeed fair to say it grows given the limitations on inter-county careers.

"Every year that you put on a Fermanagh jersey and you have not won a medal it drives you on, there is no doubt about that. You have to believe in your own strengths, you have to go into every game and believe you are going to win, believe at the start of the year that you are going to win. Cavan have put the work in behind the scenes, under former player Shaun Doherty, they have shown at U21 level what they can do and they come to Brewster Park as worthy favourites. They have a championship game under their belt but we have to get our game right and see what happens. We weren't happy with the defeat to Meath, and I know the lads weren't happy. We lost a bit of consistency in the league and that cost us a place in the league final. We have sat down refocused, the only downfall for us is that we have not played a championship game and it has been a long period for us. We have sat back and watched the rest of the teams play, kept an eye on the championship but we have to concentrate on our own game and get the right performance. "Peter has settled in this year and all the boys have really bought into everything he has asked. We have put a lot of work in and hope to cause a shock at the end of the day. We want to win. Realistically we have not got the medals and we have been starved of championship success in terms of winning Ulster. It is important to look to Sunday's game and try and cause one of three upsets in Ulster this year and it would be great for the squad and the players."

It has not been an easy year for the squad with the death of Brian �g Maguire still very much in the mind of the entire squad.

"We have had a number of hurdles to overcome from the start of the year and we know there will be one person looking down on us who we would love to have had involved in Sunday's game. We will not forget Brian �g, it's still difficult there is no point saying it isn't. When you see such a freak accident take away such a young, gifted life it is hard on everyone but it also dawns on you how lucky you are."

The frustrated footballer McCluskey admits that he is a frustrated footballer. He plays to win and to be successful but long gone are the days when winning a championship game every now and then or even getting to an Ulster final is sufficient. You get the feeling that if he ends his career without a medal then he will deem his inter-county career a failure. It's a harsh equivocation but then again championship football is a harsh environment.

"It's frustrating as a player at times to hear that you have done well, that you have got to a semi-final or final but at the end of the day there are no medals on the table. You look at players like Barry Owens and Martin McGrath to name but two from this generation and they would hand back any personal award in the morning to get that elusive medal. You are not in it for your All-Star nights or teams of the week and if you are, well maybe you should not be there. You are in it for that medal that you have not got. Until I have that medal, I don't even want to think about ending my career or even let such thoughts go through my head. When you get older you look at those years not with regret but you do look back and think that time is ticking and more precious than before. Maybe in '04 and after that we maybe took it for granted and thought we would be back and the same after '08. It's tough and we have massive hurdles to clear to progress this year, but it is improving, there is a good crop of players coming through and they have developed well and hopefully we can push on. There has been a strength in depth this year, Peter and the backroom team have brought in a few new players and it has been key this year with all the injuries. Boys will miss out on June 16 but we hope to have a long summer and it is all about the squad.

"It has been an enjoyable career so far with plenty of ups and downs and it would be nice to get success for myself personally and for the whole team. It would be lovely to get our hands on a medal but we say that every year. It would be good also for my family and friends who have given me great support and put up with the commitment needed to say to them, here is the medal it has been worth it in the end."

When Sunday comes And so, on Sunday, Ryan McCluskey will lead Fermanagh out onto Brewster Park. It will be a very different McCluskey to the one that was trying to establish himself 12 years ago at the same venue but the goal remains the same and that is to win Ulster. It has been the preserve of every Fermanagh footballer that has pulled on the green jersey. McCluskey is no different nor does he want to be.

You 'gotta' have faith.