The young and the restless
AMID all the talk of burn-out and overburdened players, Killian Young is singing from a different hymn sheet. Football’s Young Player of the Year could be togging out deep into December, but he’s not complaining.
“It’s not that difficult because once you are moving to a different team, then it doesn’t seem as long. When Kerry finishes, that part of the year is over, when you exit the senior championship you then go back to your club so I don’t mind it — but I suppose the odd weekend off would be nice.
“But that’s hard to do because every team expects you to perform as a county player, you are always a marked man and club players could become local heroes if they curb your influence. So the next two months will be interesting for me, with South Kerry on Sunday and then onto club action with Renard trying to avoid relegation to Division Four of the County League. After that, we head into the South Kerry Championship that starts on the last weekend of November.
“Playing with the lads you grew up with and that helped shape your career is very important. Playing Tarbert and Ballymac for survival in Division 3 might sound far removed from the glamour of Croke Park and awards nights, but these games mean a lot to the club and to me.
“For example, we played a vital League game against promotion-seeking Glenflesk down in Renard last Sunday week and got home by a single point with a last minute goal. Guess who was man-of-the-match on the day? Seamus Moynihan playing at midfield for Glenflesk — still giving his all for the cause.
“They talk about burn-out — once you’re young and fit it’s great to be playing, whether it’s down in Tousist or up in Croke Park.”
It’s been a steep climb for Young, who works in Bank of Ireland in Tralee. Last January the 20-year-old started training with Kerry under new boss Pat O’Shea wondering if he’d be making a contribution to the green and gold.
A few months later and Young has an All-Ireland medal as a starter, an All-Star nomination, and that Young Footballer of the Year statuette. He made a contribution alright.
“Things have gone well for me this year, though it was a bit rocky early on,” says Young. “I got lucky with Brendan Guiney leaving the panel in the spring and Eamon Fitzmaurice retiring, because there were times you wouldn’t think you were going to make the team, with so many good players around you.
“The door was left open and then the league went well and then I picked an injury which rocked me a bit. But once we got going in the championship and we put the head down and started training, everything went well.”
And those individual awards? “It’s nice to be recognised, awards give you a bit of confidence, particularly at the start of your career. But you don’t care much about those things, once you have the All-Ireland medals rattling in your pocket. When we were up at the awards, you are as proud as punch and you don’t care what you win because we’re the All-Ireland champions.”
With Renard striving to avoid relegation and then turning to the South Kerry Championship, Young has more than enough on his plate; odd, then, that he’s pleading for the U-21 grade to be continued.
“I think that it’s a worthwhile competition with many positive aspects. Many players drop out at this stage when they go away to College or start working so I feel it’s a good competition to help players bridge the gap from minor or senior.
“I have one more year at U-21 level and I am looking forward to it. I was injured last year and had to watch our defeat to Clare in the first round on the sideline with Darren O’Sullivan, and it was the most frustrating game I can remember watching. It would be a fabulous medal to have as Kerry haven’t won it for so many years.”
Wearing his South Kerry hat, Young believes the late comeback in their semi-final replay against Mid Kerry was a turning point.
“We displayed great character in coming back when were four points down and it was slipping away from us. We were four points behind, the heads were down we could see that things were not going our way and in truth we were all over the place.
“There is still a lot of hunger there to win the four-in-a-row. But that is something we haven’t been focusing in on because a lot of lads haven’t three medals. I am going for two in a row so it’s more about winning another championship rather than anything else. Everyone has a good bit of hunger for Sunday and that is what’s driving the lads but we know its going to be tough.”
Young feels tomorrow’s final in Tralee will come down to who wants it most on the day.
“We have too many experienced players on board to believe that we have the game in the bag once we show up. While small things in training might matter, once you run onto the field with guys like Paul Galvin and Eamon Fitzmaurice, then you know that you are with winners. It doesn’t matter how talented you are — it is all about workrate and keeping the head down.”
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