Cork star Ian Maguire has hailed the impact of team manager John Cleary after the Rebels achieved promotion to Division 1 of the Allianz Football League last Sunday.

A 0-22 to 0-19 victory over Tyrone sealed the Leesiders’ sixth win of the league campaign as they now get set to clash with Meath in the Division 2 final this Sunday at Croke Park (1.45pm).

Speaking to GAA.ie this week, Maguire said that he anticipates “a great battle” with the Royals at headquarters and hailed Cleary’s impact in getting them there.

"If anybody is at a game, they can see that passion coming out in leaps and bounds, left and right," he said.

"John is an incredible man, what he's achieved as a player and a manager. Some of the team had him with Cork U21 and him being a Castlehaven man with a couple of the lads there, John lives and breathes Cork.

"He wears it on his sleeve, and we revel around him. He's a terrific leader and a terrific manager. He's done a superb job in the last couple of years, taking it from where we were which was a tough position in 2022, potentially facing Tailteann Cup to where we are now.

"It has been a long journey, but he has guided us through that. I can't speak highly enough about the man. It will be no different on Sunday, there will be effing and blinding, hats flying, that is just the way he is - a passionate man.

"That feeds into us on the pitch, too - heart on the sleeve stuff. Bringing back to Sunday in Tyrone, we were willing to die for that promotion, that really comes from John."

 

 

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