Dublin footballer Kevin McManamon pictured at the Topaz Cash for Clubs launch. Topaz is encouraging people from across Ireland to go the extra mile for their local community to be in with a chance of winning up to €10,000 for a club of their choice. A tot
By William Dunne
“Does it spur us on? Yeah, no one likes to be beaten," Dublin star Kevin McManamon states when questioned on whether Kerry’s triumph over Dublin in last month's Allianz League Final will give them an extra incentive as the Championship draws closer.
The four-time All-Ireland winner was speaking at the launch of Topaz Cash for Clubs 2017, where he admitted that the defeat may motivate Jim Gavin’s side as they seek their third successive Sam Maguire however McManamon feels it will all be forgotten about come the business end of the season.
“We played them (Kerry) last year in the semi-final and the League game was irrelevant and if we ever play them again this year or next year or wherever, that game would be irrelevant.
“It might spur you on to dissect your game a little bit more, but look August and September are a lot different than April and we’ll have to just take them on their own merits.”
Dublin await the winners of Carlow and Wexford in the Leinster quarter-finals and McManamon insists that they won’t be looking any further than June 3.
He said: “We try to take every Championship match as serious as we can and that’s the only way we can show respect to the team that we’re playing and so respect to the Leinster Championship.
“So we’re just going to get stuck in as hard as we can to train to really try to prepare ourselves well to research and go after whoever wins that game (Carlow/Wexford) on Sunday.”
2016 was one of McManamon’s most successful years in the sky-blue jersey where he notably scored a crucial late point as Dublin came from behind to dump Kerry out in the semi-final stage.
This year will see more competition for places with Conor McHugh and Eoghan O’Gara back in the fold as well as Dessie Farrell’s U21 side claiming another All-Ireland title.
Although McManamon believes he is a naturally driven person he feels that this new competition can only help him get the most out of his game.
“Everyone wants to be in the starting 15. So look we’ll see how this season unfolds. I don’t know how it’s going to go, that’s the exciting part of football.
“I’m going to try and squeeze everything I can out of my own game and get to the stage where there’s nothing that the coaches can do (and) they’ve no choice, but to play me. That’s my goal to give them no choice.”
