Armagh manager Kieran McGeeney is “one of a kind” according to Kieran Donaghy.

Donaghy joined McGeeney’s Armagh backroom team ahead of the 2021 season and tomorrow afternoon will see both men on the sidelines at Croke Park as they look to guide the Orchard County to Sam Maguire Cup glory for the first since 2002 with victory over Galway on All-Ireland football final day.

“People ask me ‘how are you doing it’ and maybe in Kerry ask me how I am managing it - it is because of ‘Geezer’ and that group of players. If they weren’t a good group of lads or the set-up wasn’t top-class, there’s no way you could do it,” Donaghy is quoted saying by BelfastLive.co.uk.

“When Kieran asked me to get involved, I knew the way he carried himself - he was in the International Rules team with me. I knew there were a lot of good players there.

“The culture he has created from ’14 until now, weeding out fellas that weren’t all-in and going with fellas who wouldn’t be the best picks by some people in the county, but you knew deep down would do the gym stuff and sacrifice their life to help Armagh move up the ranks - that’s the fellas he has went with.

“The way he carried himself, how honest he was and how straight he was - there was no sugar-coating anything. I remember thinking he’d be brilliant to be around, if he was my captain, I’d love to play for him.

“His attention to detail, his focus is just solely on Armagh - never on himself. And how we can get Armagh to be better - that’s what he talks about non-stop. The jersey and the people of the county and what it means. He is one of a kind.

"When Sunday comes along, it is the fifth final they’ve been in and he has been involved in three of them in 140 years of the GAA.”

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