"In my mind we're putting in professional hours and standards"
April 23, 2021
Tomás Ó Sé during the 2020 Munster SFC final between Cork and Tipperary at Pairc Ui Chaoimh ©INPHO/James Crombie
Former Kerry star Tomás Ó Sé says the demands put on inter-county players nowadays are too close to professional standards.
This week saw Kingdom defender Peter Crowley retiring from inter-county football at the age of 30 and, speaking on the RTE GAA podcast, Ó Sé reckons that it’s a sign of the burden put on players these days.
"The top club teams train like inter-county teams did in my era. Backroom teams, analysis, and that takes time,” said the five-time All-Ireland winner.
"I think inter-county teams are training like professional outfits and then, unlike professionals, they have to go to work or college.
"In my mind we're putting in professional hours and standards. We’re preparing in a professional way when we’re not, fellas have to go to work. Something has to give somewhere."
On Crowley’s retirement this week, he added: "Peter Crowley is a pharmacist. Highly qualified and they have their own business. I don’t know how you can do both. I think certainly the days of fellas going on till 34/35 are definitely gone.
"It will mean shorter careers."
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