Mattie Donnelly expects several of the Tyrone U21 side that will contest next Saturday's All-Ireland final against Tipperary to make their mark at senior level in the near future.

Cathal McShane, Mark Bradley and Ruairi Brennan are already part of Mickey Harte's senior set-up, and Donnelly feels it's only a matter of time before more of the U21s make the step up.

"There's plenty of boys there who would love to play for Tyrone, and if we're not at ourselves, not working hard to keep ourselves in the position we're in, them boys will be taking your spot very soon," the Trillick clubman told the Irish News.

Donnelly has no worries about the Red Hands - who were relegated from Division 1 of the Allianz League - being anything less than 100 per cent prepared for their Ulster SFC preliminary round meeting with Donegal on May 17.

"Club football is as intense as anything when it's played in Division 1, and it's perfect preparation for the likes of myself and other boys to keep you tiding over with good quality matches, and then the training you would be doing with the county too, brings it on," he added.

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