Stephen Cluxton won't play for Dublin in 2026

By John Harrington

Dublin manager Ger Brennan today confirmed that Stephen Cluxton will not play for the Sky Blues in 2026.

The legendary goalkeeper is a member of Brennan’s backroom team and his duties won’t extent beyond a coaching capacity.

“He won't be playing,” confirmed Brennan. “He's there 100 per cent as a coach/selector. His duties extend beyond goalkeeping. There's a great goalkeeping coach there, Josh Moran, and he's going to continue to stay in that role. And Stephen will be looking at the bigger picture.

“He has given so much to the set-up, he's an incredible servant to Dublin GAA, and his desire to want to give back and certainly help in identifying the next goalkeeper for Dublin GAA is certainly something he's excited about.

“And again, not only that, I suppose as a former centre back and him as a goalkeeper, you get opportunities to read the game and see what's happening in front of you. So his ability to actually read the game is second to none.

“He's quite insightful, whether it's attack play or defensive play. He certainly knows what works, what defenders don't like and certainly what goalkeepers don’t like. So he's going to bring that playing experience to his coaching experience. He'll be heavily involved in all aspects of coaching on the field of play, and just delighted to have him.”

Cluxton made his championship debut for Dublin in 2001 and won a record nine All-Ireland titles and 18 Leinster Senior Football Championships.

He stepped away from the panel for a two-year period following their completion of the six-in-a-row in 2020 before returning to the side for their 2023 All-Ireland championship success.

Brennan says the lack of a retirement announcement from Cluxton, who turns 44 in December, doesn’t mean the door is left ajar for another comeback.

“Some players, me being one of them, like to make announcements. And Stephen being another type of player, he's probably not one for announcements.

“But he's definitely not part of the playing group. He's fully part of the management group. And if you can get him to use the word retirement, fair play to you!”

Cluxton will be remembered not just as one of the all-time greats of Dublin football, but as one of the most influential players in the history of the game.

His laser-guided kick-outs revolutionised the role of the goalkeeper in Gaelic football and helped usher in a new era where retaining possession became king.

“I think back to Shane Ryan of Naomh Mearnóg and seeing Clucko dinking balls out from his left foot from the Canal End over to the Cusack Stand side," says Brennan. "And Shane Ryan, who probably was six foot, I think he won an All-Star in 2008, I think he was Dublin’s only All-Star that year.

“And Micky (Whelan) with Pat Gilroy came in in 2009. So, I think those two lads, Stephen and Shane, certainly developed that synergy in terms of trying to be a bit more creative and possession-based from our kickout. Pat then came in - I was with Mickey and the work we would have done with the club (St. Vincent’s), it was more of a possession-based opportunity from a kick-out as opposed to the ball just becoming a 50-50.

“So I suppose the whole thing kind of evolved from there, that would be my first memory of it in terms of the role of the goalkeeper from general play.

“Stephen has played a bit good of soccer too. I've often found, not always but certainly it helps fellas who played a good level of other sport, certainly soccer, have a great ability to read the game, to scan, to see pockets of space. Stephen certainly has that as well.

“Off the field, every decision he makes is made with Dublin GAA in mind, and that's something which certainly helped the group get to where I got to with Pat and Jim and Dessie subsequently. So having someone like him to remain part of the set-up, albeit in a coaching capacity, it's great to have him there.

“A super talent and he'll certainly be driving standards and helping players improve off the pitch and on the pitch.”