Moran asks for supporters pateince with David Clifford

WITH the expectation that David Clifford will be heavily involved with the Kerry seniors this spring, David Moran has moved to dampen down expectations on the 19-year old Fossa man.

With the memory of the 4-4 he scored in last September’s All-Ireland Minor final still fresh, Clifford’s is the name on everyone’s lips as the National League looms into focus.

Kerry U-20 team manager, Jack O’Connor, is resigned to not having Clifford available to him come the U-20 Championship later in the year, and while Clifford could possibly make his senior debut against Donegal on Sunday week, those involved with the senior squad will be at pains to play down the expectation that Kerry’s All-Ireland hopes could hinge around the teenager.

“I think he’s very talented but I think people need to be patient, Moran said this week. “He’s nineteen. Some of the best guys I played with...Tommy [Walsh] at 20 and 21 was phenomenal, but at 19 he didn’t get a game. Declan O’Sullivan didn’t make the panel in his first year, and after that he was phenomenal.

“I’m really looking forward to David Clifford, but I think you have to have patience with him. For people thinking he’s going to come in and burn it up just a year out of minors is probably a bit unrealistic.”

“The other thing is that the full-forward line for Kerry last year was the one line that could put their hand up and say we did okay, it wasn’t as if we have to have someone in the full-forward line now.

“Paul (Geaney) obviously had a very good year, Kieran (Donaghy) in the first Mayo game kept us in it nearly on his own, he was very good against Galway. Barry John Keane, Jack Savage, James (O’Donoghue) got Munster Player of the Year, so it wasn’t as if, you know, we need a full-forward or corner-forward badly.”