KEV DIDN’T EXP LIKE THESE

Leinster football finals in Croker with Kildare were a long way off as Feely made his way up hurling ranks with Waterford’s current batch of stars

KEVIN Feely could be going for All-ireland gold with the Waterford hurlers right now – instead of trying to take down Dublin at Croke Park.

It’s well known at this stage that the big Kildare midfielder turned his back on soccer’s big bucks to play for the Lilywhites.

His heart wasn’t in the professional game so he pulled the plug on his burgeoning career in 2015 and got back to his first love.

Only Gaelic football wasn’t his first love in the GAA – that was actually hurling.

It will come as a big surprise to those marvelling at Feely’s high fielding tomorrow that the Kildare vice-captain and free-taker only took up the game at 16.

He lived in Tramore until then and played alongside most of their current stars in county development teams.

But when his father, who’d worked for Waterford Crystal, packed the family off to Kildare a new sporting avenue opened up.

Feely revealed: “Gaelic football would have been very low down on my priority list when I was growing up. It was always soccer and hurling, they were the two sports I put all my focus into.

“But hurling isn’t south Kildare’s strong point so when I moved to Athy that kind of went out the window and the football side of things came into it then.” Feely got involved with Kildare underage teams and captained the U-21s in 2012 before leaving for England. He’s clearly got the athleticism and determination to have made it as a hurler and impressed coaches as a teenager.

The 24-year-old said: “I would have played with a good few of the current Waterford lads, the majority of the team now actually.

“Your Pauric Mahonys, Jake Dillons, Darragh Fives, all the lads that were born around 1992, 1993, Maurice Shanahan, Philip Mahony, all those lads. “I would have played on development squads with all of them up until U-15, U-16 level so it’s been unreal seeing them coming through and doing so well as seniors.”

Kildare hurling boss Joe Quaid drafted in the likes of ex-kilkenny star John Mulhall and the Reidys from Limerick earlier this year.

He had a rough diamond from Waterford under his nose all along in Feely though he would have got a ‘thanks but not thanks’ reply if he’d asked.

Feely smiled: “Joe wasn’t on, no! I don’t think he knew about my hurling background but I can’t imagine the touch being too good after five or six years away from it anyway.

“I’d still follow Waterford very closely, I love seeing them do well. They’re such a young team, I think there’s definitely a Munster Championship in them and I think an All-ireland in them too, in the next few years, and I’d be delighted to see that happen.”

Kildare supporters believe Feely could be the man to inspire them to a first Leinster title since 2000.

He has been outstanding in this year’s Championship and has formed a stunning midfield axis with Tommy Moolick.

His high fielding and expert free-taking, off both feet, has got fans daring to dream again.

But it’s fair to say the Athletic Therapy graduate from DCU has little memory of that Kildare win over Dublin 17 years ago.

He explained: “I didn’t move to Kildare until I was 16 so I would have been going up to All-ireland semi-finals watching the Waterford hurlers but I’d really be more of a Semple Stadium man myself, from going to Munster finals.

“You were watching players like Paul Flynn, Ken Mcgrath, John Mullane, Fergal Hartley and those boys. They were serious hurlers. They were always exciting to watch.

“I think Waterford was everyone’s favourite team, outside of their own, because they were so exciting to watch.”