Keith Higgins returned to the Mayo hurling team at the weekend, putting to bed any claims that he was being prevented from doing so by the county's football management.

The dual player made his return as a late change to the starting fifteen on the team who were edged by Kildare in Saturday's crucial Christy Ring Cup clash.

Higgins, who will captain the footballers in their Connacht championship opener against Galway in little over three weeks, scored a goal from centre back in the 2-18 to 1-16 defeat.

Hurling manager JP Coen had previously claimed that the 2015 Mayo captain was being prevented from playing for his team by joint-football managers Noel Connelly and Pat Holmes, something the duo vehemently denied.

The 30-year-old All Star defender hadn’t played for the hurlers whatsoever this year prior to last weekend’s defeat against the reigning Christy Ring Cup champions.

He told reporters last week that “it’s a lot easier to do (both) when you’re 22 or 23 years of age than when you get to this stage of a career. It’s about trying to manage it, and unfortunately there was a decision taken.”

It remains to be seen whether he will be released to play in next weekend's relegation play-off against Wicklow. Themselves buoyed this year by the inclusion of footballer Leighton Glynn.