Tony Kelly says his second All-Ireland win means more to him than his first.

The Ballyea clubman admits that he expected more All-Irelands to follow after winning his first as a teenager in 2013, and certainly didn’t think it would take 11 years.

“When you're 19, you win an All-Ireland, you think this is great. After underage, you think we are going to go on to win another one or a couple more,” he told gaa.ie after receiving the PwC GAA/GPA Player of the Month award for July.

“Obviously, it doesn't work out like that. When you're older you become more experienced and more knowledgeable about the game, in terms of that just doesn't happen. You have to take each year as it comes.

“Look at Limerick in terms of the last few years, winning four in-a-row, the Kilkenny team when we were underage too. You look at them and you give them solid respect for their work and the time that goes into it, the work that goes into it.

“The maintaining of performance levels, whether it be individually or collectively, those teams were able to sustain it over a number of years.

“So, you definitely have more of an appreciation for the game and an appreciation for winning now, too. Some of us won one when we were 18 or 19, and are now winning one again in our 30s, that is just sport, too. We are lucky now to have the two.”

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