Ten Questions with Aindriú MacLochlainn

This week, GAA.ie puts the questions to Kildare defender Aindriú Mac Lochlainn. He gave us his thoughts on modern Gaelic football, as well as naming his toughest underage opponent.

Aindriú will line out for Kildare in their Leinster GAA Football Championship semi-final tie against Meath on Sunday.

Q: Who's your favourite GAA pundit?

A: That's a hard one. Probably Colm O'Rourke to be honest with you. He's more straight talking. Some people are controversial for the sake of being controversial. I think he seems more straightforward.

Q: Who do you think is Kildare's greatest ever sportsman?

A: There's a lot there. In soccer we'll claim Niall Quinn because he has lived here for years, and then in horse racing you've Johnny Murtagh. Although he's a Meath man really. He lives in Kildare though, and used to play soccer with Kildare Town too. He used to do training with them to stay in shape. I remember in a charity match a couple of years ago we had a match between Kildare GAA and Kildare soccer and Niall Quinn played with us, and Johnny Murtagh played with them. Glenn Ryan, Anthony Rainbow and Johnny Doyle would all be up there too of course.

Q: Can you remember who was the most difficult opponent you marked when you were underage?

A: It's a funny one. I've been playing with Kildare since U14s and a lot of players I would have marked who were really good seem to have fallen by the wayside. There was a lad who used to play for Monasterevin - Murphy was his name, but we used to call him 'Spuddy' - and he actually played soccer with Celtic and Home Form underage. He was class. Dermot McCormack was also very tough to mark underage.

Q: Who's the most famous sportsman you've ever met?

A: Well, obviously the likes of Niall Quinn who I mentioned before there. Roy Keane too. Met him when he was with Sunderland. So I suppose Roy Keane.

Q: What do you see as the percentage breakdown between talent and hard work in terms of what makes a top GAA player?

A: Ninety per cent hard work, 10 per cent talent. Maybe talent would have got you further in the past because of the degree of training, the intensity, the fitness nowadays. It wasn't as demanding of your time as it is now. So I think it has changed in recent more years more towards workrate.

Q: Who's the most naturally talented team-mate you've ever had?

A: It's a toss up now between a couple of lads. From my own club Ellistown, Ken and Murt Donnelly, the two brothers who played with Kildare were very naturally skillful. And in the set-up at the moment, probably Mikey Conway or Eamonn Callaghan.

Q: If you could play an All-Ireland or Leinster final in any stadium outside Ireland, what stadium would you like to play it in?

A: Ha, that would be great. Probably the Bernabeu (home of Real Madrid).

Q: Do you think modern Gaelic football gets criticised too much?

A: I don't know. I always looked at hurling matches and thought it was great how free flowing they were and when you speak to tourists who don't know anything about Gaelic Games, and they see a hurling game, it catches them off guard how fast and intense it is, and how much passion there is. They find it amazing. But over the past few years I thought that Gaelic football was unfortunately moving away from that, and maybe closer to other games. But this season, I think I've seen a bit of change in that and I think it's for the better.

Q: What's your favourite inter-county jersey apart from Kildare?

A: Probably Galway. I was in the Gaeltacht down there and Seán Óg de Paor has been a big influence on me, and I have a lot of grá for Galway itself.

Q: If there was a fantasy transfer system in GAA, and Kildare could bring in one player, who would you choose?

A: I don't know, now. I'm happy enough with Seánie! (Johnston).