Tomás Ó Sé closing in on Kerry return

Tomas Ó Sé expects to be back in the Kerry set-up before the end of this month, as he ends his break from the game since the Kingdom’s All-Ireland triumph over Cork last September.

Ó Sé was in Croke Park at the announcement of the GAA/GPA’s new Player Development programmes and is hopeful that he may feature before the end of the Kingdom’s NFL campaign.

"I said to them (Kerry management) that I would be back in late March. I don't know what way the team will be going at that stage or whatever," he said.

"Hopefully I will get a chance and get a run-out before the Championship as it would be nice, but if not I would be happy enough to plough on with the training as well."

Ó Sé considered his inter-county future over the winter, and believes he is well primed for another year in the green and gold.

“With Daragh retiring - two of us couldn't go as it would be seen as a plan I suppose,” the 31-year-old joked.

“I thought about it over during the winter and as long as the body is good and the mind is good I'm happy enough to continue on and hopefully I have another year of it.”

With a string of retirements and Tadhg Kennelly and Tommy Walsh having journeyed to Australia, it will be a challenging year for the Kingdom according to the Ventry primary school teacher.

"I think it will be a different year for Kerry in that we have never had to deal with retirements and losing the two lads to Australia as well.

" I think it will be a new challenge which I think maybe isn't a bad thing because we need that as well. The lads are a huge loss - Tommy Walsh and Daragh, in particular, are a huge loss as is Diarmuid (Murphy) and Tadhg. Any team that could ship that...the year will tell a lot."

On Paul Galvin’s eight-week suspension, Ó Sé believes he was right to appeal it, but that Kerry must now move on from it.

"He tried to appeal it and I suppose everyone is trying it at the moment. I think he had a case in his appeal anyway, but it's done, it's finished and there is nothing we can do now.

“We are after losing him so we'll have to put up with life without him for another while. But he'll be back, I've no doubt he will be back and be in good shape again."