The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
‘My mother Ellen would’ve been involved in the Supporters Club’
HE was always destined to be a fans’ favourite. The languid style, the audacity, the sheer brilliance of the man ensured as much. What we’ve seen from David Clifford in the past two seasons has been pure Roy of the Rovers stuff.
In him the Kerry support see a guy who could potentially lead the Kingdom back to the top of the heap, finally usurping the Dubs who’ve reigned over the green and gold for far too long.
More than that they see one of their own. The Clifford family have a strong affinity with the Kerry supporters and the supporters club in particular. David’s mum Ellen was a supporters club stalwart for a long time.
“My mother Ellen would have been involved in the supporters club for a good few years before we came along,” David explains.
“So they would have enjoyed their time in that definitely. Big time, we kind of grew up on Kerry football, the supporters club, I suppose they are a big part of Kerry GAA and Kerry football and hurling.
“It’s always known the support that Kerry teams will get whenever you go to Dublin for Croke Park or for National League games around the country they’ll always be a big Kerry support there.”
Learning to deal with the attention he’s bound to attract is going to be a part of his development now that he’s a senior footballer, but the big man is as laid back off the pitch as he is measured on it. He takes it all in his stride. Just as he did the call from Eamonn Fitzmaurice to join the senior panel.
“It’s fine out, it’s enjoyable yeah. It was nice [to get the call],” he says.
“I don’t know whether I was expecting it or not, but it’s nice to be in there. It’s okay, it’s not too bad we’ll take it every game as it comes and see how it goes for the year.”
The entire county is eager to see what this guy does in the green and gold and the entire county is eager to see him line out in at least some of the National League games. How that pans out, of course, remains to be seen. Though we all suspect he’ll take to it like a duck to water.
In the meantime he takes some gentle ribbing about his brother Paudie beating him to the East Kerry intermediate player of the year award in good spirit.
“He’s one of the main players there with Fossa for the last couple of years so it was richly deserved in fairness,” he says.
It’s a big year too for Fossa who have designs on a county title in the not too distant future. You don’t appoint somebody of the calibre of Seamus Moynihan as manager if you’ve not got real ambitions.
“I would have seen him playing and I would have worked with him with the East Kerry minors in the last two years so it’s massive to have somebody like Seamus coming in with that career and even his managerial career to date has been very successful.
“It’s only onwards and upwards you can go,” Clifford explains.