Captain class driving Dublin and Mayo to greatness

Stephen Cluxton is the hidden force in full view behind one of the country’s greatest-ever teams, writes Kieran Shannon.

A few days after his first league game as Dublin manager, Jim Gavin made what can now be seen as a clear statement about his vision for the team though at the time it seemed a rather peculiar decision: Stephen Cluxton would captain the side for the 2013 season.

It especially raised eyebrows in media circles, still burned by the experience from the International Rules trip 18 months earlier when Anthony Tohill’s choice of captain did not engage in any duties with the fourth estate. “In my list of things required to be team captain,” Tohill said at the time, “his ability to speak to the media is not one of them.” A read of a recent book by the Wall Street Journal’s Sam Walker, however, and you might even surmise that someone as calculated as Gavin may even have chosen Cluxton because — rather than in spite — of his aversion to the spotlight.