Dubs’ Brennan won’t get complacent

HE MAY have pinned down a spot in the Dublin starting 15 but Ger Brennan is not about to slip into a mode of relaxation.

The St Vincent’s man has staved off the strong claims of Brian Cullen to fill the centre-back spot in Dublin’s Leinster campaign to date. But ahead of Sunday’s provincial decider against Kildare, Brennan is in no mood to get complacent.

“Bryan and I have been in out of the A and B teams in training all year and it is just that I am getting the call at the moment. I just have to keep doing my best. I wouldn’t say that it is a settled unit because there is so much competition in training.

“You have to keep upping your own personal game. if there’s no pressure there, you’re going to relax. It’s the same with all walks of life.”

Twelve months ago Brennan’s attitude to Dublin football was notably different.

The relentless grind of training for club and county had worn him down, and he opted out of the Dublin setup.

“I dropped myself off because for about two years I did not have a break,” he recalls. “I’d trained with Dublin the previous season and then I was straight back in with the club when we had the All-Ireland run. Then after that I was straight back in with Dublin again.

“I was knackered and my close friends and family said ‘you don’t seem yourself’. I just wasn’t happy with myself and I wasn’t enjoying my football. Pillar (Caffrey) was nice about it and he told me to take a break and see how I was after a couple of weeks. I got back in touch and I was delighted when he took me back in.

“Being honest last year, you could see the team in training being picked two months in advance but with the new management you wouldn’t know with 10 days to go. We won’t know the team until tonight and I could not predict what it will be whereas in other years it was quite predictable.”

For Brennan, those guiding Dublin’s managerial tiller this season are familiar faces. The Pat Gilroy and Mickey Whelan double act have had a strong influence on his St Vincent’s upbringing and now they are replicating that with Dublin.

“I was pleasantly surprised when Mickey took over. Personally I was happy because Mickey has had me since I was 16 with Dublin panels and he has brought me through the centre-half-back position. Mickey has seen it and done it all.

“Then look at what Pat has achieved in his football career. He took over the senior team for six months but he had to leave it because of work pressure. But Giller was like the fifth selector with the Vincent’s. He would ring you before club games and he would really get you going. There was no doubt that he had it in him to be a manager.”

The vibes emanating from the Dublin setup are good but Kildare this Sunday represent their biggest challenge of the season.

“They are in great form and they kicked some points the last day. Dermot Earley kicked a great score coming through so we will have to be on our toes.

“They played serious football against Laois for 50 minutes and they just blew them apart. We are just going to have to be on our toes and keep it very tight.

“Give them half a yard and they are going to score.”