James Horan has rubbished the notion that Mayo are on the wane.

After leading the Westerners to a four-in-a-row of Connacht titles, Horan will find himself in the unfamiliar role of spectator when his former charges face Galway for a place in the provincial decider at Pearse Stadium on Sunday.

While many believe this Mayo team has missed the boat as far as ending the county's All-Ireland famine is concerned, the Ballintubber man doesn't see it like that.

"Mayo have been one of the top teams in the country over the past few years and I think they're still up there," he writes in the Irish Daily Star.

"They're a self-driven, self-motivated group with a lot of leaders. They have a culture of constant improvement, of getting better all the time in all the skills and fundamentals of the game.

"I know the mentality of those players, and I expect them to be bigger and better this year. The age profile is also very favourable. Apart from Alan Dillon, Andy Moran and Keith Higgins, I don't think any players are over 30.

"Aidan O'Shea, Cillian O'Connor, Jason Doherty… those three haven't even reached their prime yet, but they're getting stronger all the time."

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