I’m back in love with football
DANIEL FLYNN has declared himself back in love with football as he returns to the Kildare fold.
After starring in the Lilywhites’ run to the ‘super 8s’ in 2018 as he gained an All Star nomination, Flynn’s decision to sit out the 2019 campaign came as a surprise.
But, despite his fine form, Flynn explained that “the gra had kind of gone”.
“I sat down with Johnny Doyle, he was managing the college team, and he said, ‘You look like a fella who has kind of fallen out of love with the game’ and he was probably right,” said Flynn (right). “To take a step back from it was the right thing to do so it’s great now, I love the game again now,” he laughed. “I just think it was life really, a build up of different things. “Training was kind of stepping up the whole time, everyone is trying to bridge that gap and I’d a lot of stuff going on myself with college, I was
KILDARE forward Daniel Flynn isn’t banking on Jim Gavin’s departure as Dublin manager leaving the door ajar in Leinster. Dublin have been the dominant force trying to work, trying to spend time with my friends and family, just trying to keep all the balls in the air and something had to give.
“I started to resist it a small bit, I didn’t want to go to training or it was becoming a bit of a chore. So I said that taking a step back was probably the right thing to do.”
Flynn, who was speaking at the On The Ball Team Building launch, dismissed rumours of a rift between him and then manager Cian O’neill.
“There was none of that to be honest, we get on very well. I got on really well with all the lads, it was just a personal choice.”
He continued: “2018 was probably the best year
I had in the set-up but it didn’t really bear much on the decision, I didn’t really think about it a whole lot.
“At the All Stars at the end of the year, I kind of questioned if I was making the right decision because you can look back and see all the highlights and how good in the eastern province throughout the 26-year-old’s county career, and long before it as a new boss will bid for a 10th straight provincial title in 2020. Flynn said of of a year it was (but) no, not really.”
He admitted he did feel guilt towards his teammates, as if he was letting them down.
“Absolutely. I rang a good few of the lads and spoke to a lot of them, I went for coffee with more of the senior lads, the leaders of the team I would have thought, and they were ok with it but I myself did think that I was letting people down and that was tough.”
After a stagnant 2019 for Kildare, ex-kerry boss Jack O’connor has succeeded O’neill and Flynn is raring to go having sat down with O’connor back in September.
“He wanted to see what I thought and how I was feeling. Everybody was wondering why I wasn’t in in 2019.
“I said to him, ‘Look, it’s just I needed a break and I want to get back into it, I’m eager for it’.
“He asked me how my appetite for football was, I said ‘Yeah, it’s great’ so he said, ‘That’s fine so, you’ll get on fine’. It was very informal.” the five in a row All-ireland winners: “Jim Gavin (inset) going, I would have backed them for six or seven (in-a-row) there last year. It remains to be seen what sort of an impact that will have
“We’re in the middle of Division Two, trying to fight for promotion really.
“I think for us to look beyond that is a bit far-fetched. We’ve a good bit of work to do, I think we know that.”