The opportunity to play in Croke Park is an important step in the development of any young player according to former Footballer of the Year Steven McDonnell.

The current Orchard County U-21 boss reckons this Saturday's FL Division 3 decider against Fermanagh will stand to the younger members of Kieran McGeeney's squad in the long term.

"It's very important for any team to get games at Croke Park, especially early in the season," he pointed out to The Irish Daily Star.

"There's a lot of young players in the Armagh set-up and a number of them may not have had that feeling of running onto Croke Park.

"That's a great opportunity for Kieran McGeeney to let players get a feel of the place.

"If you're playing in Croke Park, you always feel good about yourself. Certainly it will add a lot of competition going into the Championship.hn

"Momentum is a wonderful thing and if they can get a league victory over Fermanagh, that'll do confidence a world of good.

"There's top-quality players in the Armagh squad. I know a lot of them, have played with a lot of them and I've coached som and they really are in a tough side of the draw in Ulster.

"You've got Tyrone, Donegal, Derry and Down in there so it's going to be difficult to do anything in Ulster but I believe they have the qualities, as do the others there to kick on and win it.

"I wouldn't rule out Armagh competing for Ulster this year and after that who knows. Any team that wins Ulster from that side of the draw will have earned it."

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