James O’Donoghue delays operation to focus on Legion duty

James O’Donoghue admits he’s taking one for the team this year as he delays a second operation on his right shoulder to try and help guide Legion to only a second ever senior county title, their first in 69 years.

Last year’s footballer of the year bagged three goals in the club’s quarter-final win over Kerins O’Rahillys at the weekend and ahead of facing Rathmore this Sunday, he says he’s putting Legion before himself, having opted for an early operation last year.

With surgery inevitable and meaning another six to seven months out of football, he said: “Well, in fairness, I didn’t do the club any favours last year because I decided to get the operation. We had already lost in the county championship so we couldn’t have gone any further. But we were still in a couple of other competitions but I said, ‘look lads, I’m going to get the surgery’ and obviously there were a few lads disappointed I didn’t play on but I had to do that for myself.

“So maybe this year I kind of owe it back to the club to battle on. We could be out of championship on Sunday and I won’t owe them anything then. (I) won’t say I owe them but I would love for the Legion to do something special this year, especially after disappointment of the summer (with Kerry).

“We are a tiny club, we won the intermediate senior in 2005. Before that, I don’t know. We have barely won anything at all so to have a chance to win a county championship is a huge thing for us. I wouldn’t even think of going to Christmas. If we get to three weeks and get to the final, it would be a big thing for us and then I can fit in the surgery afterwards. It is not a big issue in my head at the moment so not worried about it.”

Speaking at the launch of the AIB club championships yesterday, O’Donoghue says the next operation won’t be the same as the one he had 11 months ago — “Probably just a more final one to wrap it up and say, ‘Goodnight, Irene’ to it.”

He maintains the recurrence of the problem in the All-Ireland quarter-final win over Kildare never debilitated him in the following games against Tyrone or Dublin.

“Honestly, if we won the All-Ireland, it wouldn’t be an issue. But then we lost and it was, ‘Jaysus, James had the strapping on the shoulder’.”

The defeat to Dublin is still a raw one for O’Donoghue although he had no quibbles with being taken off despite having scored three points. “Barry John (Keane) came on and Barry John was very unlucky not to playing all along this year, we were three points down, it was time to change things.”

O’Donoghue also takes exception to the criticism levelled at Colm Cooper following the game. “I have heard bits and bobs around the place. I mean, Dublin had a system to go and stop us. I was taken off, Gooch didn’t have his best game, Paul Geaney was taken off. I don’t see why you would pick on one fella – it always seems to happen that one fella gets a bit of a doing in the media but he is strong enough to deal with and he won’t care what is being said.”

He’s excited by the appointment of Padraig Corcoran as selector/trainer and Liam Hassett to Eamonn Fitzmaurice’s group of selectors. ” I don’t know Liam Hassett personally but I have heard that he is excellent. Tough man. (A) couple of changes is going to important, for the group to freshen things up. Ultimately, it comes down to ‘if ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ but we didn’t change anything this year and Cian O’Neill has gone to Kildare and that is going to be massive for him.

“I would know Padraig well and I think he will be excellent for us.”