FOR those who habitually doubt Liam McHale, Mayo's manager John Maughan has, the documentation to tell you otherwise. During the cold, dark depths of the county's campaign to escape Division Three football, McHale travelled through the night from basketball matches to be at the Mayo team hotel for NFL fixtures the following day.

"After big matches," says Maughan, "late at night, he'd be available. During the week, he'd tell me just have a car ready and I'll have a sandwich on the way. On one occasion he came from Killarney to Enniskillen and didn't arrive until four in the morning. You couldn't point the finger at him."

Fingers have been pointed in the past. McHale excites all sorts of reactions. To some he is a consummate athlete to others his lazy style typifies the sort of erratic habits that invariably cost a team when the going gets tough. As a prominent basketballer, he has tended to attract further suspicion among those anxious to justify criticism on the basis of sporting ambivalence.

As ever, such visceral doubts are unfair and frequently wide of the mark. Despite the fact that winter basketball has been in the past his main source of income, McHale has made himself available for a number of NFL campaigns - although it involved him in considerable additional commitment.

As someone who has spent all his adult life until his 30s involved in sport at a variety of levels, he, is impatient with the kind of chaos that has in recent years characterised the administration of Mayo football. But the appointment of Maughan as manager of the county last autumn enticed McHale back into the inter county fold after a year outside. Maughan's track record with Clare, whom he took to the 1992 Munster title, was built on organisation and his own sense of military discipline.

As a player, McHale utilises his height (6ft Sin), athleticism and handling skills. Not as bad a kicker as generally believed, he doesn't, however, possess a powerful shot. More an orchestrator than a finisher, he has apparently limitless stamina and moves the ball well.

Introduced at under 21 level by John O'Mahoney who went on to bring Mayo to two Connacht titles in 1987 and 88 - and Leitrim to theirs two years ago - McHale made a striking impact in both All Ireland semifinals. Moved to full forward late in the match against Meath, his aerial domination nearly swung the match.

A year later, his athletic ubiquity was crucial in the surprise defeat of Tyrone - a performance many reckon his best for the county.

His easygoing demeanour disguises a committed sportsman. He only recently took his first nine to five job, having in the past played basketball during the winter and coached summer camps.

Four years ago, O'Mahoney was allowed drop the reins of the Mayo team and the team's fortunes declined. McHale remained involved but with shrinking enthusiasm. After the historic Connacht final defeat by Leitrim, in 1994, he made some comments generally critical of teammates - which didn't go down well with either players or public and is thought to have contributed to his absence from the panel last year.

To avoid such situations, he is currently steering clear of media involvement although as an intelligent and articulate interviewee, he is normally much in demand.

Invited back by Maughan for most of the NFL season, McHale is again an influential figure in what is largely a young, inexperienced team. With a particularly good track record over the years against Galway, he will be central to Mayo's chances of springing an upset.