Shane plunged back in at deep end

SHANE RYAN was a much sought after figure during the Dublin press night.

Not just because Ryan is at ease with the media and never one to shy away from an interview but also because Sunday will mark his return to the Dublin team after a brief absence.

So, he could be found upstairs in the Goblet, a local's local in Artane which has been the venue of all Dublin's

media gigs this successful summer, dissecting the challenge of Armagh this Sunday, and his own rather sizeable personal challenge.

Ryan has been plunged back in at the deep end. With John McNally moving to the flank, Ryan regains the centre-forward berth and will be greeted by the hefty reputation of Kieran McGeeney on Sunday.

"Well, we have played this Armagh team a few times and from talking to the lads from Na Fianna, it's a huge task and one I will have to get my head around in the next few days.

"He is the driving force behind their team, he is their captain and leader, there isn't much you can say about Kieran McGeeney that hasn't already been said," Ryan says.

McGeeney hasn't been the only Armagh player Ryan has been impressed by this summer. Although he has only seen them on television, Ryan knows all the ace cards the Ulster champions hold.

"They are such a strong team they can bundle you out of games, they hit hard and mark very tightly. And their forward line is lethal. I mean Oisin McConville, anywhere within 50 yards he is going to score a point from a free. That's another thing we have to look at, not giving away any frees."

Tommy Lyons will have spent the past few days preaching about how Dublin must work just as hard as

Armagh if they are to progress in the championship. It is a point not lost on Ryan.

"When they have the ball, our team will have to be 15 defenders. It will have to be about stopping their attacks wherever they build them.

I know the six of us will have to chase everything down and harry each of their defenders.

"We did that very well against Donegal, but we are going to work just as hard again, if not harder this Sunday.

This is a very good Armagh side, they have been beaten by the eventual All-Ireland champions each of the last three years and they aren't interested in anything but an All-Ireland this year."

It has been a mixed year for Ryan. He gave up on his first love, the sliotar and hurl, to focus all his energies on football.

"It was tough, giving up a sport I love so much and have played all my life. But I had to make the choice and if I concentrated on hurling, I wouldn't be sitting here with a Leinster medal."

When Lyons brought his new ideas into Parnell Park part of those were to take Ryan out of defence and lodge him in the fulcrum of attack. His performances haven't scorched the Croke Park turf like those of Cosgrove or Brogan, and while some felt it was harsh to drop Ryan the last day, the player feels there is scope for improvement.

"There is always room for improvement in your performances. It is nice to get a run out the field a bit and not be stuck in the corner being mainly a spoiler."

When Dublin finally won the Leinster title this year, Ryan experienced the same weightlessness as many of the older lads. Having tasted the bitterness of defeat in so many Leinster finals, he felt a release in his shoulders.

"We were beginning to think would it ever happen, would we ever make the break through. It is only natural, losing in Leinster final after Leinster final. Now that we have, the main thing is to make it count because we mightn't get back here for another seven years. We have to make sure we equip ourselves the best we can."

Confidence shouldn't be a problem. This Dublin squad ooze it, even those who make a quick getaway from the press night.

"Confidence has been high all year. Tommy has brought in a new blend of youth and experience to the team and it works well. Confidence won't be a problem, it is mainly in the heads that Sunday will be about, a psychological barrier to keep the work rate up."

Given Ryan and his team-mates are facing those powerful, defensive work horses of Armagh, that shouldn't be a problem either.