Jack McCaffrey’s thoughts on winning his Dublin place back say everything about the man

Jack McCaffrey, the two-time All-Ireland winner, is taking nothing for granted.

Jack McCaffrey, the most direct, most pacy attacker from deep has fear of not making the team just like anyone. Jack McCaffrey, one of the most tenacious backs in the game, is reserved when it comes to talking up his own game. This is Jack McCaffrey we're talking about. The youngster who won Footballer of the Year the last time he played a full season in Ireland. Well he's back. But he's ready to start all over again. The Clontarf native missed the 2016 inter-county season whilst he was in Africa but he was home in time to take his seat in Croke Park for a semi-final with Kerry. He missed being on the pitch but it's not like it played a real part in his attitude on those big days. He just became a Dublin supporter again, gripped and enthralled and roaring his county to victory. The team is even better again since he left. John Small excelled last year and now Eric Lowndes is flying. Put those together with an injury McCaffrey sustained in the Cavan game that has kept him out since and you have a big hill to climb to get back in the team.

"All the same lads are there from when I played in 2015," McCaffrey said at AIB’s ‘Club Fuels County’ launch of the GAA All-Ireland Football Championship.  "Playing for Dublin is a massive honour and a huge privilege, it is something you should have to work hard for. There's never anyone going to walk back into that team and into a jersey and that makes you value it and fight for your place. "The competition for places in the half-back line is high but it's the same around the rest of the pitch to be honest and I'm looking forward to going toe-to-toe during the summer."

Of course, the return of the All-Star probably met with it some in-house ribbing between lads vying for the same slot.

"As it happens myself and John Small both picked up injuries so we've been training together and egging each other on," McCaffrey revealed. "There'd be a bit of joking, nothing too serious. "Myself, John and Eric (Lowdnes) all played minor together, myself and Smalley played together since we were 13 so it was great to see him flying last year. We'll just go at it and see what championship team comes together."