Paudie Clifford: Kerry felt disrespected by one-man-team talk

Paudie Clifford of Kerry fists a point during the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship final match between Kerry and Donegal at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

All-Ireland winners Kerry were driven by a feeling they had been disrespected, Paudie Clifford says.

The older Clifford brother put in a fine performance as Kerry overcame Donegal by 10 points to claim a 39th title.

And speaking to RTÉ afterwards, Clifford was content everything had clicked for the Kingdom on the big occasion. "This team has been together for a few years now but it’s the first time we’ve put a 70-minute performance together and we’re delighted.

"I'm absolutely over the moon."

Donegal had been tipped by many pundits ahead of the final and Clifford referenced some of the criticism his county has shipped this season. 

"We would have put a lot of pressure on ourselves. We are our own biggest critics but we did feel disrespected, we felt disrespected for a long time.

"A team that has been in three of the last four All-Irelands and has won two of the last four. We felt very disrespected."

In particular, Clifford objected to the idea that Kerry are a one-man team, reliant on his brother David.

"To be called a one-man team, when you have fellas like Joe O'Connor, fellas like Jason Foley, who have worked all their lives to play for Kerry. And you’re called a one-man team if you haven’t won every All-Ireland. We felt disrespected."

Kerry led by seven at the break and had largely controlled proceedings, despite occasional wayward shooting in search of two-pointers. 

"We knew what Donegal would bring, unbelievable workrate. We said we’d just pick around them and take the right shots, though we didn’t really in the first half, we did in the second half.

"We have to give massive credit to our midfielders and Shane Ryan. We had enough possession to be able to give a few balls away and kick a few wide."