Gill keeps focus on Vincent’s victory

Hugh Gill is philosophical about the likelihood of St Vincent’s run to Monday’s All-Ireland Club SFC final putting him in the window for a return to the Dublin panel.

The defender was involved in 2009 and 2010 before stepping away in May 2011 — Dublin’s All-Ireland winning year — as he couldn’t train with a stress fracture in his leg.

After that, the 25-year-old broke his hand, as well as pulling his hamstring on several occasions. But with the help of his mother, a physio, he enjoyed a relatively injury-free 2013.

With Kevin O’Brien out for the season, Dublin are a little shy in the full-back line options but Gill isn’t getting ahead of himself.

“That never came into my goals. It was just about getting back playing football, and I suppose all that kind of stuff will look after itself if it does, after Paddy’s Day.

“I’m in an All-Ireland final, they don’t come around too often, so it’s just important to keep my interest and keep my focus on that.

“One of my goals last year was just to get back and enjoy my football and put myself in contention, which was getting in the (St Vincent’s) squad. I’m back now and it makes life a bit easier when you’re enjoying yourself and enjoying your football.”

Fourteen months after the club’s most famous member, Kevin Heffernan passed away, Gill acknowledges doing Heffo’s memory justice is a source of motivation for players.

“It’s probably in a lot of the lads’ minds, that it would be fitting if we went on and won an All-Ireland in the (playing) year he passed away.”

There remain plenty of luminaries around the Marino club, like Brian Mullins and Pat Gilroy, who Gill won an All-Ireland club title alongside in 2008.

“You’re walking down here every weekend, and you see them knocking around. What I found in Vincent’s anyway is a real ‘just go out and play football, go out and express yourself’. I think that trickles down to mini-leagues and all the way back up. I never felt intimidated.”