Jason O’Connor

Late starter Nathan Breen has followed his dreams all the way to the biggest stage of all

DESPITE not actually starting to play the game until he was thirteen years old, having grown up in Wales before moving to Ireland, Nathan Breen has proven to be a strong presence for Beaufort as their captain in their run to Croke Park.

Assuming the role of captain is not something that weighs heavy on him, however, as he says the team like to see leadership shown everywhere on the pitch regardless of age profile.

“We have a young team to be honest and one thing we try to convey is that leadership isn’t just down to the captain or the older lads.

“If you are in the squad, you have the same responsibility as the man beside you. No-one else is expected to do more than you.

“I think that mindset has served us very well, we have guys who are 22 years old and the occasion doesn’t seem to be getting the better of them. Our approach to games now is different. We have strength in-depth and we have five or six subs that can come on and our performance wouldn’t drop,” Breen says.

When Breen started out on the senior panel alongside Fergal Hallissey and Ronan Murphy in Division 4 of the County League, their goals initially weren’t set too high.

“We probably thought that the Mid Kerry Championship was too big to win at that stage, let alone county or Munster titles or days out in Croke Park, that was too big to dream. As a player now, obviously once you get a bit of success it’s enjoyable. However, it’s very easy to remember since Under 16 maybe not winning anything on the way up.

“There’s no problem with players staying grounded. Our juvenile system is very strong, and it’s not just the people involved this year, we look back at the people who were involved with the Juveniles over the past 10 or 15 years; it’s all that work that’s coming to fruition now.

“If we did get on the right end of the result, it would be thanks to all these people,” the captain believes.

Breen tells an interesting side note to the Premier Junior Final win over Na Gaeil in that in