Westmeath, one of three football counties yet to name a boss for 2025, are reportedly on brink of appointing Cavan legend Dermot McCabe as senior manager.

The Gowna powerhouse, once voted the Breffni county's best player of the last 50 years, has strong links to the Lake county. His nephew Eoghan was part of Dessie Dolan’s panel last season while his brother Martin managed the Westmeath minors in the past.

Dolan stood down as Westmeath manager during the summer having secured the Tailteann Cup a year previous and taking the county back to Division Two and Sam Maguire football.

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McCabe managed his native Gowna to back-to-back county titles in 2022 and '23 before they bowed out at the semi-final stage this season.

He also has some experience at county level, having acted as a selector for Cavan under Mickey Graham when they won the Ulster title in 2020. That was Cavan's their first Angle Celt success since 1997 when McCabe was their talisman on the field.

Gowna clubman McCabe played at senior level for Cavan from 1994 to 2010. He made 132 appearances, including 43 in the championship and 30 in the Ulster Championship and finished with a tally of 16-228 to his name, of which 5-70 came in championship football.

McCabe claimed an All-Star Award for his efforts in 1997. As well as representing Ulster in the interprovincial series, he played for Ireland in the revived 1998 International Rules Series against Australia. He was one of Ireland's stars by scoring 14 points.

The weekend's Leinster SFC 2025 draw pitted them against Kildare in next season's provincial quarter-final.

An appointment in Westmeath would mean only Clare and Derry are still to name senior football managers for the 2025 season as things stand.

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