Wearing a county armband is a huge honour & I was over the moon to be asked
PRIDE IN JERSEY NAME OF THE GAME FOR COMER
DAMIEN COMER was nearly going to cut Kevin Walsh short when he phoned him at work a few months back.
But the more Walsh talked, the more engaged Comer became. The conversation finished with the 24-year-old accepting the Galway captaincy for 2018. “It’s something I’d have liked to have done at some stage,” admits Comer, who wasn’t expecting the honour quite so early in his career.
“I captained the NUIG team as well and the under21 team but Kevin (right) rang me at work one day. I was nearly telling him, ‘I’ll ring you back, I can’t talk’ but it was obviously a huge honour for me and my family and I’m proud.
“Only a few years ago it was a dream to play for Galway and then to actually play and now to be captain it is a huge honour. “I probably was surprised at only 24, just gone 24, to be a captain but there is no age on leadership of getting the armband it’s about the qualities you possess in the dressing room so I was delighted and it’s going well so far.”
It certainly hasn’t done his form any harm with the Annaghdown man enjoying his best season yet.
“As captain some people feel added pressure and maybe it hinders their performance but I try and use it as motivation and try and lead by example.
“If I’m doing something, it reflects well on the other lads and they see you doing something positive and they’ll try and match that and you hope it drives on the whole team.”
For now at least, work takes Comer to the busy Taaffe’s bar in Galway city before he moves into a teaching post in September.
“Padraig Lally, who is running it, has been very flexible. I needed a parttime job and with football it’s not easy to get job that is so flexible around trying but he has been very good in there and he works around may schedule and gives me a few hours here and there.
“It’s great, it tops up the bank account weekly and it’s all needed.
“It’s a way of socialising as well other than being out.
“It would be a big football pub tradition-wise, it’s nice and it’s a good vibe and good music so its enjoyable.”
Comer has been a wrecking ball for various full-back lines this year, including Dublin’s, but explains that his conditioning is more nature than nurture.
“It’s more genetics than anything. I wouldn’t be a huge fan of the gym by any means, I’d rather not go if I had the choice!
“This year now I have actually taken a backward step, possibly once a week and not always, I try and focus a bit more on cardiovascular and try and get more mobile around the pitch.”