Versatile Doyle the heartbeat of the Lilywhites

WHEN Kieran McGeeney first set foot in St Conleth’s Park as Kildare manager, he already knew that Johnny Doyle was a kindred spirit.

Just like McGeeney, Doyle has dedicated himself to self-improvement and to the team ethic. Like his manager, the Lilywhite captain is a much better operator at 32 than he was at 22, when he last appeared in an All-Ireland semi-final. That is true even if his influence has rarely been anything but seismic.

And like McGeeney, he was always happy to lead by example, to run himself to a standstill, to graft for the team.