Mick O’Dwyer Wicklow coach and GAA legend

DARAGH O CONCHÚIR: IS the county jersey as important as it ever was?

MICK O’DWYER: “The county jersey still means everything. With the way the championship has gone this year, it’s even more important. You see the young fellas in Wicklow now wearing the county jersey with pride. It’s very important to every player.”

Daragh O Conchúir: Would you join the GPA if you were still playing?

Mick O’Dwyer: “You can be bloody well sure I would. I’m a big players’ man. I’m all in favour of the GPA and I think it’s most important that players have a say within the organisation.

“In fairness, the players are being looked after well but there’s a little bit more we can do for them with scholarships and that sort of stuff. A young fella who’s married with children and a mortgage to be getting 50 cents a mile; that should be upped to at least a euro. All that stuff should come from central funding. They’re turning over plenty of money at present.”

Daragh O Conchúir: How do you handle a temperamental but gifted player?

Mick O’Dwyer: “You talk to him pretty regularly. Never tell him too much about his weak points. Encourage him all the time and tell him about the good points. Keep working on those and it’s amazing, it gets through.”

Daragh O Conchúir: Most important quality of a player – skill, intelligence, strength, mobility, enthusiasm?

Mick O’Dwyer: “The one thing I would say to any player is have a look at the O Sé brothers. The have it all in abundance. Heart, fire, spirit, they’ve got everything. And if you want skill and class you look at Colm Cooper and Declan O’Sullivan. So you need them all and you get them from different players.”

Daragh O Conchúir: What success in another sport would you liked to have been manager for?

Mick O’Dwyer: “Managing Manchester United. I was always a big fan. In my earlier days when I finished playing, I went over and met Matt Busby. I went over one winter to see some of their training methods. I was very impressed and we learned quite a bit. Billy Behan, who was their scout here in Dublin, was the man who arranged it all for me. He was a great friend of mine.”

Daragh O Conchúir: How do you give constructive criticism to someone going through a bad time – e.g. a player missing frees?

Mick O’Dwyer: “Every player will go through bad patches. Horse or hound or man that happens to. The thing to do is to keep on encouraging a player. And keep playing him. Don’t be taking him off and putting him on. The moment you start doing that you break his confidence completely.

Daragh O Conchúir: How do you keep yourself motivated?

Mick O’Dwyer: “No problem. When I’m in the car for four-and-a-half hours driving, I can assure you, I enjoy every moment. I work out moves, and I’m thinking of different games. Motivation? I love the game, pure and simple.”

Daragh O Conchúir: Before a match, do you know if your team is flying?

Mick O’Dwyer: “You would, there’s no doubt in the world about that. It’s amazing, before all the games we played this year, I knew we were going to put up a good performance in every single game. I didn’t know we were going to win but I knew the players were ready to put up a really good performance. And they did.”

Daragh O Conchúir: Which is more physical, hurling or football?

Mick O’Dwyer: “Hurling in my opinion is some game but a lot of dual players would tell you that football is a way more physical game and they’d prefer to play hurling. I think you have to be tough to play any of them.”

Daragh O Conchúir: What programme do you Sky Plus?

Mick O’Dwyer: “Well if I was to record anything it would be football games.”

Daragh O Conchúir: Sunshine holiday or Incal Trail?

Mick O’Dwyer: “I’m not into the sun at all. My idea of a holiday is to get out on a boat and start deep sea fishing. It’s very important to me and I love it.”

Daragh O Conchúir: When was the first time you signed an autograph?

Mick O’Dwyer: “When I started playing for Kerry, very few would be looking for autographs. But I remember well, a long time ago, it was a man by the name of John Moran from Mitchelstown. He came to Waterville with his sons, Declan and Ken, and I think they were about the first people that I signed an autograph for.”

Daragh O Conchúir: What do you think of Pat Spillane returning as a pundit rather than an anchor?

Mick O’Dwyer: “I think he’s great as an analyst or an anchor man. The one thing about him is he’s honest. He’ll express his opinion at all times. You’d want to know his uncle, Jackie Lyne. He’s a real chip off the old block.”