David Clifford: This isn't the end of us, we are just getting started

THE BEGINNING: David Clifford and his son Ógie celebrate after the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Final match between Kerry and Galway at Croke Park in Dublin. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

So what was different about 2022 for David Clifford and Kerry? Well, there was no talk about winning All-Irelands for starters, a welcome change.

"I'd say this year was probably the first year that we didn't mention winning the All-Ireland — until today, really," said Clifford, standing next to the team bus after shooting eight points to win his first senior medal.

"I think that was important for us. Maybe we were building it up too much in other years, I don't know. It's easy to say you're going to win it in January and February. Then you actually have to go and do it.

"You see so many sportspeople who have never won whatever it is, Premier Leagues, All-Irelands, whatever. There's absolutely nothing inevitable about it."

The hope now is that after winning his first senior medal on the occasion of his 21st Championship appearance for Kerry, Clifford can grab the keys to the Kingdom and kick on with several more wins.

The Fossa phenomenon responded positively to the suggestion and the idea that this Kerry side, jam-packed with All-Ireland minor medals, is just getting going.

"100 percent, there definitely is a realisation that this isn't the end of us by any means, we are just getting started, so it's really time to go now."

The 23-year-old will inevitably shoulder much of that burden of expectation.

"Look, I suppose it is difficult at times to shut it out but I've always said it, whether it's being from Kerry or being from Killarney, people are really good at keeping you grounded. There's footballers everywhere down through the generations and there's always someone who has done more than you, and obviously a lot more than me, so, ah, it's okay down in Killarney."

Clifford embraced Sean O'Shea at the final whistle, the former minor colleagues bear-hugging each other and celebrating a landmark moment in their careers.

About 40 minutes earlier, in the dressing-room at half-time, the mood wasn't quite so cheerful.

"It was general disappointment at half-time, we just weren't ourselves," he said. "We didn't nail our shots. We didn't bring any sense of want or need out there. There was no intensity from us. So I think it was disappointment really because we knew there was so much more in us. You have those days sometimes but thankfully it came right for us."

The full-forward had Galway captain Sean Kelly as his shadow throughout the afternoon, a head to head battle that lasted the duration. Five months ago, they were on opposite sides in the Sigerson Cup final on a wet February evening in Carlow when Kelly's NUI Galway came out on top against Clifford's UL.

"He was one of their nine sweepers that evening I'd say," smiled Clifford. "No, he was unbelievable that night, Sean Kelly, carrying the ball and that was disappointment for me that I didn't perform at all in that one and that's always in the back of your head, to try to get back and perform in a final."

Clifford admitted that Kelly appeared to have his homework done for the rematch.

"It felt like they had really, really analysed us very well individually," he said. "In the game, a few things happened that you were going, 'Jesus, that usually works for me'. So no, fair play to them, they had massive analysis done and they delivered on their gameplan.

"But I suppose we had an idea that if we could just enjoy the battle for 55 minutes, things would open up and we'd kick on from there. Thankfully that's how it went."

Clifford played a key role in Kerry kicking on. Tied at 0-16 apiece, it was his point from a free, tight on the right, that nudged Kerry ahead and they tagged on three more points after that for good measure.

"I missed a few frees at the start in the Cork game in 2020 and I did a lot of work with Maurice Fitz last year on it, trying to get into the right headspace and not be too casual standing over them," he revealed. "So I was quite confident and went back to my routine and thankfully it went over."