‘There’s nothing like inter-county management’

HE’D been there already, pacing the line as Kerry hurling manager, and there had been spells afterwards as a Cork selector, and as Wexford manager. When John Meyler was asked earlier this year to take the Kerry U21s for a few sessions, he saw green shoots for the Kingdom seniors. He went back.

“I felt, looking at them, that there were half a dozen lads with real talent, that if they were developed and nurtured, with maybe three years of hard work, fitness work and so on you could turn them into a real team.

“Kerry won the vocational schools hurling last year, so obviously there are players there, and I felt if you had half a dozen of the U21s, a couple of the minors, and a few of the older lads – with the effort and commitment on top of that – you’d have a chance.”