Should we expect a masterclass or a meltdown from Stephen Cluxton on Sunday?

Stephen Cluxton’s long-time auxiliary John Leonard’s award-winning Dub Sub Confidential autobiography last year gave the greatest insight into the goalkeeper. 

It will likely remain the most revealing account of the enigma since the man himself is unlikely to put pen to paper or let anyone else do so on his behalf any time soon. In it, Leonard recounts the level of dedication Cluxton gave to his craft. “When I was training I was trying to get any edge I could. Initially, I tried to go in earlier than ‘Clucko’ but I couldn’t. He was in at 5 o’clock at training two hours ahead of everyone else. You could never get there before him.”

Before Pat Gilroy changed everything for Dublin, it was Cluxton who led by example in action, arriving training so early as Leonard recalled but also on his own kicking 100 frees every night of the week. Under Jim Gavin, the introvert was compelled to lead by word too. These last couple of years, he hasn’t had much reason to be depressed by results going the other way but there were times when he would lock himself away after defeats. Cluxton was a star before Gilroy took over but with the assistance of an uber-professional set-up he became even better.