Dr Pat O'Neill says Cork's Colm O'Neill has beaten the odds by returning to the field of play after three cruciate ligament operations.

The Ballyclough ace will be pivotal to Cork's chances of getting the better of Dublin in this Sunday's Division One decider.

And, according to 1995 All-Ireland winning Dublin manager O'Neill, that says a lot about his mental attitude after battling back from cruciate ligament set-backs in 2008, 2011 and 2013.

"I think there is a failure for cruciates having had a reconstruction and a recurrence," he remarked to The Irish Daily Star.

"It varies to somewhere between 10 to 15 per cent, which is high enough. Quite often you have a number that will have it done a second time, and give it another shot after that.

"But it would be unusual for somebody to have a go at returning to activity after a third one. There are a few actually but that's an exception.

"It certainly speaks volumes for his mental capacity, his tolerance and his patience."

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