Keane predicting big things of junior heroes

August 07, 2017

Jimmy Keane.
INPHO/Tommy Grealy.

Kerry junior football manager Jimmy Keane expects a number of his players to make the step-up to the senior ranks in the wake of the county's latest All-Ireland success.

The Kingdom completed a three-in-a-row of All-Ireland JFC triumphs when accounting for Meath in Portlaoise on Saturday and Keane is confident that some of the side can follow in the footsteps of Tadhg Morley, Gavin Crowley, Adrian Spillane and Jason Foley, who were involved in the 2015 and '16 successes.

"Brian Sugrue at corner back was outstanding, Daniel O'Brien is another young fella who did really well. Tomás Ó Sé, too, is a great young fella. They are just a few young lads who can keep moving up. There are a few more there, and Éamonn (Fitzmaurice) could have worse inside with him," Keane told the Irish Examiner.

Keane singled top-scorer Conor Cox out for special praise after he claimed his third All-Ireland junior medal.

"I am delighted for Conor," he said.

"He's been there and done it before at junior level. He has also got a run with the seniors. It would have been very easy for him to say, 'no thanks' when I asked him in. A player of his quality is a major asset to you. He would make an awful lot of inter-county teams. It is just unfortunate that the county he is living in, that he doesn't get the break."


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