CATHAL McSHANE has gone from GAA to soccer after signing for Strabane Athletic. The All-Ireland winner, 29, returns to his former team ahead of their first campaign in the NIFL Premier Intermediate League. Raymond Foy's side sealed promotion at the start of this month with a win over Antrim side Crewe United across two legs. McShane said: “Delighted to be signing with Strabane Athletic, a club I’ve played with in the past and always kept a close eye on. "It was brilliant to see the recent success, a real credit to everyone involved. "From a personal note, I’m really excited to get back playing and do whatever it takes to help drive the club forward and to reach the heights it’s capable of.” It represents a return to competitive sport for the former Tyrone star, who dramatically left the panel back in May. McShane, who won Sam Maguire in 2021 as well as three Ulster titles with the Red Hands, stepped aside on the eve of the All-Ireland round robin. The Owen Roes man had been a prominent figure for the county since his senior debut against Donegal in the 2015 Ulster Championship. He played a key role in Tyrone’s Ulster and All-Ireland under-21 triumphs under Peter Canavan, Brian Dooher and Feargal Logan, also in that same year. The 29-year-old had fallen in and out of favour in recent months after prolonged fitness battles due to an ankle injury, and drop in form. But he was named in the starting fifteen by Malachy O’Rourke for the Ulster Championship opener last month against Cavan. He kicked two points in that game in what was his final game for his county to-date as he did not feature in their semi-final loss to Armagh. McShane made a total of 106 senior appearances for Tyrone - 45 in the championship, 41 in the National League, and 20 in the Dr McKenna Cup. Across all those fixtures, he registered an impressive 8-156. He enjoyed a sensational season in 2019, widely regarded as the top forward in the country, helping Tyrone reach the All-Ireland semi-finals before falling to Kerry. The previous year, he played in the final defeat to Dublin. His standout performances earned him an All-Star award. In 2021, McShane played a vital impact role during Tyrone’s run to a fourth All-Ireland title. He scored one of the key goals in their dramatic extra-time semi-final win over Kerry and struck again in the final against Mayo to help seal the victory. Having struggled to nail down a regular starting role in recent seasons, McShane has now opted to step away from inter-county football for the remainder of the year.