Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Brian and Gearoid a cut above
BRIAN FENTON described his Footballer of the Year award as “mind-blowing” as he joined Limerick hurling star Gearoid Hegarty in scooping the top individual honours in the sport.
The Dublin midfielder is named Footballer of the Year for the second time, while it’s the third year in-a-row that it’s gone to the capital, with Fenton’s wins coming either side of Stephen Cluxton’s in 2019.
“It’s pretty mind-blowing to be honest and something that probably caught me by surprise, looking at the other nominees Cillian and Ciaran,” said the Raheny man. “I’m incredibly honoured and humbled and just lost for words really.”
Like in 2018, Fenton beat his contemporary Ciaran Kilkenny, who was widely fancied this time, in the vote, along with Mayo’s Cillian O’Connor.
The Raheny man is just the second player after Meath’s Trevor Giles (1996 and ‘99) to win the All Stars Footballer of the Year, which was first presented in 1995, twice though Kerry legend Jack O’Shea won the Texaco Footballer of the Year four times in the 80s.
Hegarty was a shoo in for the hurling gong after a devastating run of form during Limerick’s perfect season which saw them win League, Munster and All-Ireland titles, with the 26-year-old shooting 0-7 from play in December’s All-Ireland final win over Waterford.
“It’s obviously an absolutely huge privilege to win an award of this stature,” he told RTE. “Looking at those who won it over the last number of years it’s an incredible illustrious list to join.
Meanwhile, it’s a double celebration for Mayo defender Oisin Mullin, who added the Young Footballer of the Year award to his first All Star. Kilkenny’s Eoin Cody was named Young Hurler of the Year.
IAIN HENDERSON loved his first taste of the Ireland captaincy, even in defeat – and would love to do it all over again.
Henderson has skippered Ulster many times so it didn’t alter his approach to the game.
“As a captain it gives you so much confidence that the guys are doing their work and getting across it, you don’t necessarily feel like you’re worried about anyone or that the older players in the group have to baby anyone,” he said.
“I absolutely loved it. It wasn’t the result I would have wanted but I would do it again in a heartbeat.”
It was the second Six Nations loss in a row and Andy Farrell has targeted winning the final three as the ambition.
“Be it by three points, by 10 points... it doesn’t matter how many points, we have to win,” stated Henderson.
“Oone of our coaches raised a point earlier on in a meeting, we can’t be afraid of losing. We can’t play within ourselves.”