Kelly returns against DIT and bursting for action

KILDARE defender Peter Kelly is relishing his first game for the Lilywhites in 18 months as he returns from a cruciate injury tomorrow.

So keen is boss, Kieran McGeeney to get Kelly back into the fold that the Two Mile House clubman has negotiated a release from UCD duties so that he can return against DIT in the O’Byrne Cup tie at Newbridge (2pm).

Kelly last played for the county in the 2010 All-Ireland semi-final against Down. He earned an All Star for his performances in that campaign before joining a Kildare cruciate injury list that includes Dermot Earley, Mikey Conway, Rob Kelly, Hugh Lynch, Ken Donnelly and Willie Heffernan. That caused him to miss another roller-coaster season for the Lilies.

“I’m looking forward to it now, it’s been a long time coming” admitted Kelly yesterday. “Kildare wanted me to play from the start of the year because I’ve been out for so long. UCD are fine with it and I’ll be playing with them in the Sigerson Cup. I’m not being thrown in at the deep end. I played a little bit with the club, I’ve been training away, I did all the pre-season so I’m grand now. It’s always hard to be looking on as I had to last year but it builds the hunger up, you keep that inside and hopefully I’ll bring that out this year.”

Kelly was speaking after yesterday morning’s training session Kildare will be holding on a weekly basis, having expanded it from an optional forwards’ session last year to include the entire panel. While much has been made of Dublin’s use of early training, the practice has been common in the GAA since Ger Loughnane had the Clare hurlers doing it in the mid-90s.

“It’s not a slogging session. It’s just to go over a few tactics and other bits and pieces. It gives you that extra bit of time, rather than being there all night on a Tuesday and Thursday. You get up early, work on a few things for an hour and you still have your day.”