Dublin ace Paul Mannion says he doesn’t think he would’ve returned to Dessie Farrell’s set-up had the capital men continued their dominance in the years following their six-in-a-row triumph.

Having stepped away at the end of 2020, Mannion revealed he made his decision to return this year after having watched the Dubs’ 2022 semi-final loss to Kerry.

Last Sunday saw the Kilmacud Crokes star named ‘Man of the Match’ after kicking 0-5 against the Kingdom in the two-point victory at Croke Park.

“If things went differently in the last couple of years and they’d have been winning, I don’t think I’d be here,” Mannion is quoted saying by GAA.ie.

“I was happy enough to have had my time, and the main thing for me was that Dublin were in a good place. When I stepped away we were, and as I said if we continued that success I don’t think I would have come back.

“But it was just difficult to watch on really over the last couple of years. Last year I was away in Boston and I met a couple of lads who’d been asking me to come back and I just still wasn’t in the headspace or the right frame of mind to be going back in, and then seeing them lose to Kerry was tough.

“The year before I was down in Killarney watching that Mayo game in a pub in Killarney and there was Mayo fans everywhere, and that was hectic.

“So, again, yeah, after a couple of tough defeats like that I decided that I couldn’t keep watching on in good conscience really, so I just said I’d come back and just try and help in any way I can, big or small.”

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