David Clifford named Footballer of the Year as he eyes Kerry great Jacko

Jack O'Shea won four footballer of the year awards. 

Kerry footballer David Clifford has been named footballer of the year for the third time. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

David Clifford is now just one award behind his fellow Kerryman Jack O’Shea as the most individually honoured Gaelic footballer after claiming his third PwC footballer of the year award on Friday.

In the 30-year history of the All Star footballer of the year award, Clifford is the most decorated after matching his 2022 and ’23 achievements followed by Brian Fenton and Trevor Giles with two.

Prior to 1995, the Texaco footballer of the year was the sole top individual award in the game, which O’Shea claimed in 1980, ’81, ’84 and ’85.

Alongside O’Shea, Ger Power, Peter Canavan and Stephen Cluxton, Clifford’s sixth All Star places him joint fifth in the all-time All Star football list behind Pat Spillane (nine), Colm Cooper (eight) and Mikey Sheehy and Jimmy Barry-Murphy (football and hurling) (seven).

Alongside Clifford, his Kerry colleague Joe O’Connor was shortlisted for the top personal accolade as well as Donegal’s Michael Murphy. Finnbarr Roarty was named young footballer of the year (U22), replicating his Donegal team-mates Ryan McHugh and Murphy’s successes in 2014 and ’09 respectively.

Tipperary’s John McGrath was crowned hurler of the year for 2025, pipping fellow forward Jake Morris and Cork’s Brian Hayes. The Loughmore-Castleiney man scored seven goals in his county’s All-Ireland success including two in the final win over Cork.

He is the fourth Tipperary man to claim the ultimate All Star gong after Seamus Callanan in 2019, Lar Corbett in ’10 and Tommy Dunne in ’01. Before that, between 1958 and ’95, Tipp won eight Texaco awards including Babs Keating (1971), Nicky English (’89) and Pat Fox (’91).

Despite his fellow nominee and team-mate Robert Doyle being awarded an All Star and him missing out on one, Darragh McCarthy was chosen by the players as the young hurler of the year. McCarthy scored 13 points, four from play, in the All-Ireland final and 1-2 in the semi-final defeat of Kilkenny. Adam English of Limerick was the other nominee.

It is the first time since 2014 that a young hurler of the year nominee didn't win the gong but picked up an All Star. That year, Shane Dowling was acknowledged in the 15 but young hurler of the season Cathal Barrett was not.