Former Armagh star Oisin McConville has praised Niall McNamee for going public about his gambling addiction.

A former gambling addict who now works as an addiction councillor, McConville has backed the Offaly forward to overcome his addiction which has cost him an estimated €200,000 over the years and left him with outstanding debts of around €80,000.

"I think it's a very ballsy thing to do what he has done," said McConville, whose battle with a gambling addiction was the subject of his book 'The Gambler' which was released five years ago.

"It takes a lot of guts. Niall NcNamee's life is going to get better from the day he went into recovery, from the day he told his family. I have dealt with a lot of sports people in a similar position over the last four or five years, who want to remain anonymous and I understand that 100 per cent.

"I just think if we bring out more awareness, Niall's bravery and the fact he's so well-known and a hero to so many people in Offaly and further afield will help so many people."

McConville expects the 26-year-old Rhode clubman to receive the backing of all genuine GAA people.

"Initial reaction (to McConville going public) was a little bit mixed but in the months afterwards the number of phone calls, post, emails, gives you strength to go on. And I think that's what Niall will find, that a lot of people have a lot of admiration for him.

"Any negativity that's out there will be more faceless, internet sites and different things like that.

"It'll help so many people in that a lot of people will have seen Niall NcNamee and looked up to him and will think maybe we can do it and it will maybe make them realise they have a problem as well. Tongues will wag and people will come to their own conclusions. I think it's a good thing he's done this." Tweet

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