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24th October 2025
10:41am BST
Jack O’Connor has revealed the secret behind David Clifford’s success in recent years.
The Kerry man is regarded by many as the best footballer of this era, having won Footballer of the Year in 2022 and 2023, as well as making the All-Star team for 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023.
Clifford is shortlisted for this year’s Footballer of the Year and is favourite to win it having led Kerry to an All-Ireland victory over Donegal in July at Croke Park.
His manager O’Connor believes the rest he received in both Fossa and East Kerry seeing their seasons cut short allowed him to prosper.
“I know he was rested for a while [in early 2023] but he still didn’t get enough," O'Connor said in an interview quoted by the Irish Independent.
“The same the following year. So we made up our mind that winter that he was going to get a proper break, the bones of four months by the time he finished his last club game to his first start for Kerry which was above in Pomeroy [against Tyrone when he scored a hat-trick].
“He had enough time to basically switch off and do his own bit of work.”
O'Connor's comments come at an intriguing time, with a recent GPA survey suggesting 92% believe the inter-county season should run for a maximum of seven months from the first collective training session
Furthermore, 87% of players believe there needs to be a mandated off-season for all inter-county players.
Though some may struggle to imagine the ceiling being raised on Clifford’s form, O’Connor, who has been named Gaelic Writers Association Football Personality of the Year, believes his best is yet to come at 26 years old.
“That was a big factor. He is possibly hitting his prime, 26 years of age. He was just in great form this year, in great physical shape. Great mental shape.”
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