Mayo's Kevin McLoughlin never overthought the next step

Mayo's Kevin McLoughlin with Sarlagh, Odhran and Cadhla Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Evan Treacy

Kevin McLoughlin’s Mayo career started on a tightrope. When Mayo inched along that line with no safety net below, he was often their saviour. The creed that carried him was always the same, do not overthink the next step.

The Knockmore man applied that principle to every element of his play. His physique meant he was lighter than many teammates, but it wasn’t worth worrying about. 

Any time he diligently worked through the weights and added mass in the winter, he’d be back at his typical bulk by the time championship came around. There was no value in the numbers. He felt his way through it.

The same conviction steered his positioning. A doer rather than a thinker. He finished with 11-173 across 168 league and championship games. In attack and defence, delivering.

“I grew up with a rural club,” he explains. “Even within my own age group and team, I had to have different roles depending on the team. I slotted in wherever so I was always able to fulfil different roles. I never really thought about it too much. I always felt when I worked hard, I played my best. I never over-thought what I needed to do on the pitch. I just wanted to be on the pitch.” 

That beginning was treacherous. John O’Mahony’s text came at a time when morale was on the floor around the county. It threatened to fall even lower in James Horan’s first championship game in charge, extra-time in Ruislip saving several careers. McLoughlin played a pivotal part as he kicked an equaliser for his first clutch score. Over the next decade he amassed a long list of them.

“We’d new management come in and then that game against London… When you consider that a year previous we lost to Longford, morale in the county was at an all-time low. That London game just shocked us on the day. We knew they were decent, but little did we know it would go down to the wire.

"That game made us realise a lot in a way. We know we have good players and the ability but if our heads aren’t on, we can get beat by anyone. 2011 and ‘12 was a massive learning experience if nothing else.” 

They changed. Not in terms of commitment, but everything else.

“If I think back to training, I think it has been a constant level since 2009. In terms of intensity and what is expected of us, but the most change was all the stuff that came with it. The tactical work. More video analysis.

“The second real change in the early 2010s was S&C. For us anyway, there was a massive drive there. In 2009 and 2010 it was there but it definitely felt like from then onwards, it was way more accountable. People checking up on you. You felt like if you didn’t do it, you’d be left behind.

“I remember doing ridiculous sessions early on in the running park just outside Ballina. They were some of the hardest sessions I ever did. We trained equally as hard then but now we’re training smarter.” 

Meanwhile, McLoughlin kept on striving. In 2018 when Mayo were on the verge of relegation, he kicked a wonder score against Donegal. In 2021, Diarmuid O’Connor’s iconic dive against Dublin was only consolidated by McLoughlin’s left-footed curler.

He ranks the 2012 victory over Dublin and the 2017 Kerry win amongst the highlights. The lows? Coming up short in the decider was always disappointing. But he won’t over-scrutinise it either.

“I think back on my career, I did damn near everything to win an All-Ireland. It didn’t happen. We fell short narrowly at times and unluckily maybe. For me ‘17 is the one, statistically we scored enough to win a lot of All-Irelands. On paper it is a tough one to read. But we could talk about hypotheticals all day. There are 40 games I could think back on where we or I should have played better.” 

Walking away was part of the plan. The call was made in 2022. He cites the development of Jack Carney, Sam Callinan and David McBrien as evidence Mayo are well-placed to challenge in his absence. Mayo are in a good place.

“I had this decision made 12 months ago. Last year after we played Kerry, I had a young family and didn’t get as much game time as I would have liked. I had a lot of niggles and the body was not where it should be.

After Kerry last year, I thought this was it now. I had one or two conversations with Kevin (McStay) and I weighed up a lot of options.

“I’d a lot of injuries last year, one of our twins was in hospital for two weeks and I was out of training. I’d Covid after the league final, I was sick for the Kildare match in Croker. It was Murphy’s Law. I had the conversation with my wife. In order for me to go back I needed my wife to be 100% on board. I decided to go back this year I knew it was more one more go and that was it.” 

McLoughlin’s retirement statement was simple and to the point. It was a privilege. Thanks to managers and team-mates, fans, friends and family. He stressed his gratitude to his wife, Deirdre. She was there for it all. They did it together.

“We’ve been together since before I made the Mayo team. We’ve been together for a long, long time. If I didn’t have her support, I wouldn’t have even considered going back last year. I needed her to be behind it.

“She was the support network for our kids. I walk out the door for training knowing she is happy with me going out the door. She is happy that I am happy going out the door. All year, it has been, ‘I hope training is going well.’ I couldn’t have done it without her.”