Johnny Doyle says Kieran McGeeney will "definitely improve things" in Tipperary hurling.

Eyebrows were raised when Armagh's 2002 All-Ireland winning captain was invited into the Premier County backroom team last November but recently-retired Kildare footballer Doyle reckons his former intercounty mentor can add something to any team:

"The thing with Kieran is, he always challenged you," Doyle is quoted in The Irish Times. "No matter where you thought you were or where anyone else thought you were. If you were only new onto the team or you were there as an established player.

"We were playing an As versus Bs on the Tuesday before we played Donegal in a league match and I was on the Bs. I wasn't overly happy with it and I went to him and I said 'what are we looking at here?'.

"He said: 'you're not where I need you to be'. And I said 'what do you mean? I'm training hard'. I was sort of getting a bit vexed and I said 'look, if you think there's six better forwards in Kildare than me, fair enough.'

"And he said 'see Johnny, that's your problem. I need you to be one of the best in the country. Not the best in Kildare'. My level of expectation wasn't where he saw it. And that sums up what it is about Kieran for me. There is always more and he always looks for more.

"I think he will bring the same to Tipperary. No matter what sport it is, he'll challenge the lads. There are probably a few traditionalists down around Tipperary saying 'what the hell is Kieran McGeeney doing here?' But I'd say he doesn't talk too much hurling with them.

"It's about how they can prepare better. What they can do to bring more to the team as an individual, whether you're the oldest on the team or a new lad coming in. He'll challenge them to improve.

"But he'll definitely ask them the hard questions. Not just to be better themselves but what they can do to make the team better. I think he will definitely improve things down there." Tweet

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