Clarke joining Mayo exodus may show veterans have little faith in finally lifting Sam

FOR the best part of two decades, David Clarke turned up for Mayo duty.

Occasionally dropped, often out of favour, as a goalkeeper his supposed deficiencies were highlighted more than most. Top of that list was his supposed weakness at kickouts.

For context, Clarke began his career at a time when goalkeeping was a completely different gig. When he first appeared for his county, he wore Mizuno high-top rugby boots.

With longer studs and greater support around the ankle, the thinking was he got greater distance on his kickout. He wasn’t alone in this. Tyrone goalkeeper Pascal Mcconnell had a pair of Adidas rugby flanker boots too. From such crude measures, goalkeeper kickouts became what they were judged on over the last half decade. And up against the greatest ever in Stephen Cluxton in the All-ireland final, Clarke played the better of the two.

It has been said that a goalkeeper who is a good communicator can prevent the opposition from getting in for a goal chance.

Recently, former Kerry manager Eamonn Fitzmaurice watched the All-ireland final from Hill 16 — partly because he enjoyed the novelty of being on the Hill on All-ireland final day without being tortured by Dubs, but also because he could observe Clarke closely.

“What most impressed me, though, was how vocal he was. Most keepers are and need to be vocal but it was the content of what he was saying,” wrote Fitzmaurice in his Irish Examiner column.

“It was seriously effective communication. He was putting a name and an action to each call and his players responded to it. He was constantly reminding players of their roles as the ball moved up the field and was in many ways like an on-pitch manager.”

Now, Clarke has stepped away just weeks before the 2021 season (hopefully) begins.

He, Donie Vaughan and Tom Parsons must have lost hope of Mayo lifting the big one.