Brian Fenton: Message from legend Jack O'Shea 'blew my mind'

Brian Fenton of Dublin speaks after receiving his Footballer of the Year award. Picture: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Footballer of the year Brian Fenton has revealed how a congratulatory text from Jack O’Shea on Saturday evening “blew his mind”.

Fenton pipped his Dublin team-mate Ciarán Kilkenny and Mayo’s Cillian O’Connor to win the highest individual award in Gaelic football for a second time in three seasons.

Fenton’s father Brian senior hails from Spa and the message from Kerry great O’Shea, himself a four-time Texaco Footballer of the Year winner, meant a lot. “I’d pull it up there, but I’d just end up getting emotional,” said Fenton of the message.

“Just to say congratulations and well done. He said he watches the games and enjoys watching me play and stuff like that.

But just to get a text like that is lovely. It’s incredible really, actually. It’s incredible recognition. You get texts from all sorts. People in your life and work, people who you haven’t seen in years.

“But for someone of such stature in the GAA to reach out to you is amazing. So he said lovely, nice things. I just texted him back and said I hope we get to meet and have a pint someday and got a couple of thumbs-up back.”

Four-time All-Star Fenton admits winning the award at the expense of his friend and colleague Kilkenny left him with mixed emotions.

“I got word I had won, Ciarán got word he hadn’t so I reached out to him and we chatted on WhatsApp. I did not get an opportunity to speak on the phone but Ciarán and I are so close that there is almost that telepathy there.

“Naturally, there will be disappointment. I was disappointed in 2016 for example when I did not win the award but I think Ciarán is happy for me.

“Ciarán, look at the year he has had, look at the couple of years he has had. He absolutely deserves one. He is the one I always take my benchmark off where I am going ‘if am I competing with Ciarán Kilkenny, I am having a good game.’

I would love for him to get one as a friend but obviously I have to try and enjoy it myself but it is in your head that Ciarán has not won one and how deserving he would be of the award.

As Paul Mannion leaves the panel and Jack McCaffrey is not expected to return this year, Fenton respects their decisions but wouldn’t dream of leaving the county fold.

Fenton, who is unbeaten in Championship football, turns 28 tomorrow week and hinted Stephen Cluxton will be staying on, said: “Obviously, if my career became incredibly demanding, I might have to look at it differently. But I’m very fortunate that everything is in place to play Gaelic football. But yes, from my perspective, my outlook is ‘Holy shit!’ We’re in the best days ever. This is such a golden period. I’ve to pinch myself that I’m part of it. How could I ever turn my back on this?’”