The GAA public's perception of Davy Fitzgerald couldn't be further from the truth according to a man who knows the Banner hurling boss better than most.

Current Clare football selector David O'Brien was a member of Davy Fitz's backroom team with both Waterford and Limerick IT and helped broker the deal which allowed Podge Collins pursue a dual mandate this year.

"I think people look at Davy and say, 'Oh he's lost the plot'. I don't think Davy ever loses the plot," O'Brien revealed to The Irish Daily Star.

"It's just from talking to him, you'll get a wink. He could be shouting at someone for a minute and then you'll just get a wink and you're just kind of going, 'I've lost the plot and I wouldn't be able to win at someone!

"If he thinks something will give his team an edge or the players more protection or whatever it is, he'll say it or do it. The consequences will take of themselves after that.

"To be honest, trying to describe Davy... if you needed something tomorrow and you had to pick your phone up and ask somebody that's definitely going to help you, he'd be one of the first one that I would ring anyway.

"What comes across on the television, a lot of it is to take the pressure off the lads he wants to perform. He has no problem doing that, other people wouldn't do it.

"If you need something and he can help you, he'll help you. That seems to be case with the buzz in the hurling set-up at the minute, that the players know that they don't want for anything.

"He just loves it. He just loves hurling. From knowing the man, his eyes open up when someone talks to him about hurling."

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