Geaney urges Clifford to stay with U-20s

Kerry All-Star forward Paul Geaney says rising star David Clifford may be better off playing Under-20 football next season.

Clifford, 18, scored 4-4 from play as Kerry beat Derry 6-17 to 0-08 in Sunday's All-Ireland minor final at Croke Park, and Peter Keane, Kerry's minor manager, said after the match that he expects the Fossa clubman to go straight into the senior panel for 2018.

The 6ft 2in, 13st forward ended the campaign with  a total of 8-41 from just six games, but Geaney says the youngster may be better off training with the senior squad, and playing for the Under-20 side next summer.

 "I would imagine that he will be training straight away," the Dingle clubman said.

"Development is a big thing. It is not often that a player comes out of minors and goes straight into seniors, where you are being marked by someone who is bigger and stronger than you."

The Under-21 competition will be replaced by the new Under-20 tournament in 2018, and promotion to Eamon Fitzmaurice's senior panel would effectively end Clifford's under-age career.

"It will be interesting to see if he does come straight in because you can only play in the under-20s if you do not play senior, so there is a catch-22 there," Geaney continued.

"In terms of his personal development he might be better off playing Under-20 than going straight into senior.

"It is down to his development and to how quickly he develops into a senior footballer. I am talking physically because his skills are sensational."

Clifford has also been linked with a move to Aussie Rules football, but Geaney is confident that he will not follow in the footsteps of ­Kerry's 2015 All-Ireland minor winner Mark O’Connor, who plays AFL for Geelong Cats.

"It is going to be David's decision," he said.

"I hope he stays. I think he can achieve more at home. What we are looking at now is Dublin having done a three-in-a-row and we are under pressure down in Kerry.

"He can help to contribute and be the main man going forward for Kerry. He will do fine career-wise as well, people around will look after him.

"Mark was a different story, he wanted to play in the AFL from 16 years on. He was a different prospect as well, a different type of player as well."

Missing the Championship already? eir Sport will broadcast up to 30 games from the AIB GAA Football and Hurling Club Championships in 2017. Coverage continues on Saturday, 23 September with the Limerick club hurling championship semi-final between Doon and Na Piarsaighs [throw-in 3pm] and the quarter-final replay between Patrickswell and Ballybrown [throw in 4.45pm]. Later on in the evening, Kilcar take on St Michael's in the Donegal club football championship semi-final [throw in 7.30pm]. 

Image: Inpho/Tommy Dickson

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