Fitzmaurice predicts new role for O'Sullivan

November 20, 2014

Kerry's Declan O'Sullivan out ahead of Kieran Lillis of Laois ©INPHO/Lorraine O'Sullivan

Eamonn Fitzmaurice envisages Declan O'Sullivan playing out the remainder of his football career at centre back.
The 30-year-old, who announced his inter-county retirement yesterday, scored 8-83 in a glittering championship career with Kerry, but Fitzmaurice sees him wearing the number six for his club Dromid Pearses in the coming years.

"In my time as manager, he played corner forward for a while last year, he played full forward for a good part of the championship in 2013 while this year he played centre forward, but was also able to play a deeper role for us, in the Munster final and in the subsequent games," the Kingdom boss said in the Irish Examiner.

"Certainly when he falls back in with Dromid, I could see him playing centre back, because he's a guy who's great to read the game and has great vision.

"He's a guy who likes a challenge. He enjoyed being challenged rather than being expected to do the same thing the whole time. He wasn't selfish about his own role, he was happy to do whatever he could to help the team, basically."

A former centre back himself, Fitzmaurice remembers the five-time All-Ireland medalist from his playing days for his elusiveness and scoring ability.

"As a player he was elusive, very well balanced, could kick off left and right. All the talents," he continued.

"Certainly if you were marking him in training and were able to hold him down, you knew your form was pretty good.

"He was a handful, definitely. He's seven years younger than me, so starting out he was even more of a handful for me, but I enjoyed picking him up in training."


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