Brian Fenton
By John Harrington
No-one has been more surprised by the stratospheric rise of Dublin midfielder Brian Fenton than Fenton himself.
When he received a call up to the Dublin senior team at the start of 2015 by Jim Gavin, he was convinced it was a prank-call. It was only when he checked the provenance of the phone-number after the call was over that he fully believed it really was Gavin he had spoken to.
Most elite midfielders take a number of years to establish themselves in what’s arguably the most important and difficult position on the pitch, so Fenton’s instant impact last year was remarkable. He was Man of the Match in the All-Ireland Final against Kerry and finished the year with a well-deserved All-Star.
Even now, the 23-year-old Raheny man admits his dream debut season still hasn’t quite sunk in.
"I'm not sure it has to be honest,” says Fenton. “I think, definitely from September onwards, from the All-Ireland final onwards, you're seeing pictures of yourself in the paper and you're wondering 'did that actually happen?'
“But I suppose from January to September you're in that bubble and you can't take your eye off the ball really. You can't take a chance with things and think I'm playing a Leinster final or I'm playing a league final, you have to keep going with the flow and keep working harder.
“Like I say, you're always looking to perform on the pitch. So yeah, I think it was definitely after the All-Ireland when I started looking back and thinking how special it was. You know the buzz with the lads afterwards and the celebrations of an All-Ireland final were something I had never experienced. So looking back around then. It hasn't probably fully sunk in but it was probably around then when I realised this is really happening."
It was a year of special memories, but the one that stands out most is the moment he met his family and celebrated with them not long after the final whistle blew after Dublin’s win over Kerry in the All-Ireland Final.
"Yeah, the initial celebrations afterwards on the pitch, definitely for me. I met my family and it was just that whole surreal feeling of this is something I've worked for and I've achieved it and it was unbelievable you know.
“It was that initial few moments afterwards on the pitch celebrating in front of the crowd. The crowd were soaked to their skin and they were still there cheering you on. And then afterwards the pluses of the team holiday with the lads and that really come together. Those were the memories that I kind of look back on anyway."
There’s no sign yet that Fenton is suffering from any sort of second-season syndrome. His form has held up, and you can tell from the big grin on his face and enthusiasm in his voice that he really means it when he says he’s enjoying this year as much as he did last year.
“There is still a bit of a buzz there, 100 per cent,” says Fenton. “Every time I put on the jersey I'm living the dream really, I'm like a child putting it on. But I have to put that to one side and perform. For me it's definitely the same buzz as last year.
“The lads have really come together in the last few weeks of the league and there's a great buzz around the place. The lads are training well, moving well and our fitness is good. Overall, the load of training is good. I'm happy enough with it, it's going well and I'm looking forward to Sunday week."
Brian Fenton
Fenton underwent shoulder surgery at the end of last year that ruled him out of the early rounds of this year’s Allianz Football League. It’s a testament to Jim Gavin’s faith in him that he was brought back into the team as soon as he was fit again, but Fenton admits he worried his absence might knock him down the pecking order.
“Yeah, definitely. As successful as last year was, this year you're trying to improve and you're thinking, 'I'd love to get a League game or two or three under my belt'. But I was lucky, I sort of came back in March. There was two or three League games there in March and I got the fitness back up and you're sort of getting back into training and contact so yeah, you're nervous in a way but everything has gone to plan thankfully.
“There was no setbacks with the bit of an injury. I was nervous. You're keen, you want to get that week ahead of your rehab or two weeks out of your rehab to get back playing League games but we've a great medical team in the camp so that everything is structured and your return to play protocols are very strongly followed so I was happy in that way, just coming together physically again.”
Dublin will go into next Sunday’s Leinster Football Final against Westmeath as raging hot favourites, but Fenton expects he’ll have his hands full with some of their key players.
“Last year, looking back it was a great learning curve for me. It was tight in the first half, going into half-time and we had beaten Longford, we had beaten teams well and we had that kind of a cushion but in the Leinster final against Westmeath it was tight at half-time. For me, I probably didn't have my best game I that first half. I think we came out after half-time and Jack nipped up for a goal, Paul Flynn got a goal, not against the run of play, but just like that and it kind of turned so last year's Leinster final was a tough game, that's what I look back on it as.
“You're playing against the likes of...in midfield there there's Paul Sharry, he'd probably kick scores from anywhere. I know he has a soccer background. The likes of John Heslin who I played with in UCD, he can kick scores from anywhere as well so serious competition against Westmeath so, last year, looking back, a very tough game and anticipating the same on Sunday week.”
