By John Harrington

It the space of little more than a year, Tadhg Morley has become something of a cult hero for Kerry supporters.

A few of them have even taken to wearing curly wigs to matches in homage to the team’s no nonsense centre-back and his distinctive hair-style.

In an era of the game where half-backs have become recognised for their attacking prowess as much for their defensive nous, Morley is something of throw-back.

He’s a player who looks like he relishes the nitty gritty of defending, putting his body on the line, and going in where it hurts.

It’s that wholehearted, tough as nails approach that has made him so instantly popular with the county’s supporters.

“I wouldn’t shy away from it [the nitty gritty/>”, admits Morley.

“I played Division 5 football in Kerry and you have to be able to get stuck in down there. I just do whatever I’m told.

“If Eamonn (Fitzmaurice) tells me to get stuck in I’ll get stuck in. As you said nowadays half-backs have more of an attacking license as well.

“I myself probably need to back myself more in that respect, but as a centre-back sometimes you can’t be leaving a gaping hole either. I enjoy the physical aspect as well.”

It’s a testament to Morley’s ability that in just his second year as a regular on the team he’s been given the responsibility of locking down the defence at centre-back.

He’s done a really good job of it too, but he’s not the type to get too carried away with himself or take anything for granted.

“Yeah, I suppose [I’m pleased/>”, says Morley. “I’ve played the games so far but I don’t have the number six jersey yet for next weekend so I wouldn’t be counting my lucky stars just yet.

“It was a huge opportunity, I’ve number six on my back, but it doesn’t mean I’m going to be playing centre-back either.

“The last day I was on the wing for the majority of the game, but any time you put on the Kerry jersey it’s a huge responsibility.

“I was lucky I was coming into the half-back line with Eamonn Fitzmaurice being the manager and him being a half-back player and a number six, he was a great help to me as well.

“And, obviously the players around me helped me as well. Peter Crowley, Paul Murphy who are on the half-back line at the moment are a huge help and then the older players, last year Aidan O’Mahony and Marc Ó Sé they were in the defensive unit as well and they were a great help giving different pointers and different ways to approach things.

“It’s a responsibility, but I’ve had great help along the way.”

He arrived into a Kerry dressing-room full of players he’d admired from a distance, some of whom he’d idolised as a youngster.

Naturally enough, it took him a little time to find his bearings.

“Certainly, it’s a big culture shock. I remember the first day I came in I might have sat on the Gooch’s seat.

“Now he didn’t say anything he’d be too nice about it, but you know what I mean. The couple of training sessions after I noticed he was sitting there and I was thinking ‘Christ I sat in his seat the first day’.

“It is a culture shock, but as I say they’re very good, they really bring on all the younger fellas. I know I’m only there a year or two myself, but I’d like to think I’d help the young fellas out now.

“It’s all about integrating everybody and the lads were always very good to me and that helped a lot."

It wasn’t long before he was very much part of the furniture himself. In a Kerry football panel easy acceptance is conditional on ability, and Morley didn’t take long to show he had plenty of that.

Perhaps more importantly, he quickly showed he had a big game temperament and steely mentality to complement his footballing skill.

“Myself, you’d always have that self-belief or whatever,” says Morley. “It’s just about getting stuck in.

“When you walk into the dressing room first you’re a bit unsure of yourself, but once you get on the training field and you feel things are going well for you, you feel you belong there.

“If you get a good few sessions in. For the first year or two I was only coming in for the odd game or two and you can’t get settled in, but at the end of 2015 I had a few sessions together after we won the All Ireland junior and once you get in for a couple of sessions under your belt then you feel you’re part of it and you feel you can play at that level.”

Morley is likely to be marking  Aidan O’Shea in Sunday’s All-Ireland SFC Semi-Final against Mayo, and if so it’ll be a pivotal battle.

O’Shea has excelled for Mayo throughout their qualifier run and is arguably playing the football of his life.

Morley is well aware of the threat O’Shea and the rest of a physical Mayo team will pose, but it’s a challenge he’s clearly relishing.

“I’m a big football fan and I watch all the games, so I’ve seen Mayo play those games that were on TV, I’d watch them,” he says.

“He’s (O’Shea) having a tremendous year, but I suppose a lot of them are. Andy Moran is going from strength to strength every game. Cillian O’Connor is shooting the lights out. Diarmuid (O’Connor). (Kevin) McLoughlin. You could keep naming them. Especially against Roscommon the last day they were flying.

“They’re big and they’re strong. They’re strong runners, they’re strong around the middle, they’re strong at midfield, they’re strong everywhere to be honest with you, they’re a big side.

“Aidan O’Shea obviously is one of their big physical forces and you know as you said we’ll have to get stuck in. We’d like to think we’re physical ourselves.”

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