Dublin Senior Football manager, Dessie Farrell, has spoken highly of Kerry star David Clifford in anticipation of their All-Ireland meeting at Croke Park.
On Sunday, Kerry and Dublin will vie for the Sam Maguire crown, and there's little doubt that Clifford will be one of the standout players.
Despite being just 24 years old, the Tralee native has already amassed an impressive collection of honors in his short career. Among his accolades are five Munster Championships, an All-Ireland title, four All-Star awards, and numerous other recognitions.
Over the years, many people have praised Clifford's talent on the Gaelic football pitch. Kerry Legend Pat Spillane described him as the Lionel Messi and Johnny Sexton of Gaelic football, while former Armagh star Oisin McConville proclaimed him as the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) and warned that Clifford's performances could continue to improve in the coming years.
As Farrell leads the Dublin footballers into his first All-Ireland final, he echoes the sentiments of Spillane and McConville ahead of the Croke Park clash on Sunday.
David Clifford of Kerry kicks a point despite the challenge of John Daly (Image: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile via Getty Images)"He's brilliant. He's probably the greatest I've ever seen," said the Dublin boss this week. "It's difficult because he can do things nobody else can. He's a physical specimen and possesses a skill set that belies his physique. He's just so, so unique and such a leader for his team. He makes them tick."
Farrell acknowledges that stopping Clifford on the day will significantly increase Dublin's chances of winning their first All-Ireland since 2020. However, he also knows they must pay attention to other talented players from the Kerry side.
"We're under no illusions about how difficult that's going to be. It could keep you up late at night, for sure," added Farrell. "I think the challenge for us is to accept that he's in such a rich vein of form, he's going to do damage. He's going to have an impact on the game.
"We've just got to accept that. It's about minimizing the impact and not getting overly fixated on him, as doing so might open the floodgates elsewhere. They have some other really good forwards and backs who are also comfortable in attack, so they can hit you from all different angles. They pose a lot of threats."
The game will kick off at 3.30pm on Sunday and will be live on RTE2.
