Kerry manager Jack O'Connor has admitted that the team are in transition after last month's All-Ireland SFC quarter-final defeat to Down.

O'Connor was speaking after being re-appointed to a three-year term with the Kingdom and he still believes he can guide his native county to another Sam Maguire triumph.

"This team has been on the go for the last six to eight years and, in many ways, I think that the break will do them a lot of good," said O'Connor. "You would have to say that, without a shadow of a doubt, we are entering a period of transition.

"But by rejigging and bringing in a few new players, we re-energise the team and the trip through the qualifiers helped as well and we managed to win a great All-Ireland."

O'Connor is unsure over the futures Kerry veterans Tommy Griffin, Tom O'Sullivan and Mike McCarthy with speculation that trio could retire from the game.

"I have spoken to very few players because my tenure was up so there was no point," he said.

"What needed to happen was that these fellas needed to step back from it a bit and just taste life outside of football to get the appetite back. I think a few of them went to Rose of Tralee this year and they hadn't gone for six of seven years," he laughed.

"Then come January or February, they can make a decision based on what they have seen over the previous four or five months." Tweet

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