MAURICE A GREAT ADDITION TO KINGDOM BRAINS TRUST

KIERAN DONAGHY has described new selector Maurice Fitzgerald as “one of the best football brains who ever put on a Kerry jersey”. Ranked among the county’s all-time greats, Fitzgerald (left) was last week added to manager Eamonn Fitzmaurice’s management team. Donaghy’s Kerry career started a few years too late to allow him to play with Fitzgerald but he speaks glowingly of the 1997 Footballer of the Year.

He said: “He was my hero I’ve never actually been in the same dressing-room as him.

“I’ve heard him do one or two talks before and I’ve been very impressed with the way he speaks. I’ve no doubt he’ll bring an awful lot to Kerry football.

“Everybody thinks he’s this kind of quiet, kind of reserved guy but he’s actually quite funny, engaging and very intelligent.

“I think he’s a great football brain, probably one of the best football brains to ever put on the Kerry jersey.”