Injured McGinley wants Monty Ryder Cup call

Paul McGinley holes the winning putt at The Belfry in 2001

Crocked Paul McGinley believes he can bounce back from yet another knee surgery to win a fourth Ryder Cup cap.

The battling Dubliner, 42, does not want to be written off as a contender despite his worst season for 18 years and his sixth knee operation.

The three-time Ryder Cup winner, whose left knee went under the knife for the sixth time on Monday, still reckons he can come out with all guns blazing and play well enough to land one of Colin Montgomerie's three wildcards for the clash with the USA at Celtic Manor next October.

Facing two months out of action, McGinley said: "There is no doubt that having surgery now puts me behind the eight ball in terms of making the Ryder Cup team.

"But if I can get it cleared up and get back in action early in the season, I think could win a couple of events and get myself right up there. 

"Making the side automatically is almost impossible if you are not in all the majors or the World Golf Championships.

"But there are three captain's pick and I reckon I might have a chance of one if I can get close to the team."

McGinley was released from hospital on Tuesday after surgeons cleaned out damaged cartilage in his troublesome left knee.

But he knows that if he wants to become the first Irish Ryder Cup skipper at Gleneagles in 2014, he must remain competitive on tour for another four years.

He said: "The doctors haven't told me anything I didn't know before. Since I broke my kneecap playing gaelic when I was 19, fragments break off and tear the cartilage. The twisting and turning of playing golf hasn't been good for it. 

"I don't know what the situation is in the long term but my knee is disintegrating at a rate. For the next three or four years it is not going to be too much of a problem but after that who knows.

"People might think my best days are behind me but I don't believe that. I still have a huge desire to compete and win on tour

"I still don't know what went wrong this year. It's not that I played that badly. My biggest cheque for just €30,000 and it's hard to make an impact without big finishes in the big events."

McGinley also confessed that he probably didn't see enough of his coach Bob Torrance and plans to see the Scot for intensive winter work are now on hold.

He faces three weeks on crutches followed by rehab and could be out of action until the end of January at least.