'If you think ahead, you get caught': History chasing James McCarthy more concerned with here and now

James McCarthy of Dublin in action against Paudie Clifford of Kerry during the Allianz League clash earlier this season. Picture: Ray McManus/Sportsfile

He turned 31 in March, so time ticks by for James McCarthy — but few players have as much incentive to keep going as the versatile Dublin defender.

Among an elite group of current players with eight All-Ireland medals, McCarthy is the only one to have started all of Dublin’s final victories since 2011 in an outfield position.

Present players Stephen Cluxton (39), Philly McMahon (33), Michael Fitzsimons (32), Cian O’Sullivan (33), and Kevin McManamon (34) also have eight medals, meaning McCarthy is both the youngest and best-placed to one day emerge as the most successful footballer ever.

The more immediate challenge is to get to nine this season, elevating the six Dublin players above the five Kerry men — Denis ‘Ogie’ Moran, Páidí Ó Sé, Ger Power, Mikey Sheehy and Pat Spillane — who also possess eight medals.

“Look, we try to close the book on each season, but I’d be lying to you if I didn’t say: ‘Jeez, that’s something I’d love to achieve and something I have in my mind that I’d like to go after’,” said McCarthy. “So yeah, of course it would be. But I’ve been around long enough now to know that you just have to take each season as it comes.

If you think ahead, you get caught. I’m just focusing every day on getting better as a player. I still think I can get better, so I’m trying to keep on producing for the team.

Along with being the youngest of Dublin’s eight All-Ireland winners, McCarthy also remains a central player, so becoming the most successful footballer ever is a realistic target.

“If it happens, it happens,” he shrugged. “It would be great. I’m enjoying my football still. I’m 31 now, not too many years left, but hopefully I have another three or four at it if I’m lucky.”

An even more immediate challenge is Saturday evening’s Allianz League Division 1 semi-final against Donegal in Cavan. Yet even a win might not secure a final if Kerry win the other semi-final, as a Dublin-Tyrone decider is the only one that can take place due to the proximity to their championship openers.

“We had a free weekend just gone by,” said McCarthy when asked if more could have been done to ensure league finals took place. “I don’t think there’s any issue with teams playing week-on-week. That [extra weekend] could have been a weekend where you had the semi-finals or whatever. Obviously, the calendar was laid out a few weeks back, and they’re being rigid and sticking to it. If it doesn’t happen and there’s no league final, it would be a pity.”

With no promotion at stake, and possibly no final afterwards, McCarthy says Dublin will simply be focused on delivering an improved performance to set them up for the championship.

“We haven’t really played particularly well,” he said of their campaign so far. “At times we have, don’t get me wrong, we’ve played 10 or 15-minute periods where we’ve played really well, but we haven’t put a really strong performance together over the whole 80 minutes.”

- James McCarthy was speaking at the launch of the Go-Ahead Dublin GAA leagues and championships. Go-Ahead are proud to announce their continued dedication to the community by means of partnering with Dublin GAA for the next three years.