Rumours of the impending retirement of Tomás Ó Sé would appear to have been greatly exaggerated as the veteran defender has committed to another year with the Kingdom.
O Sé has been one of the best defenders in the game for more than a decade and although he’s not getting any younger at 33, Jack O’Connor will be delighted that the man with the most distinctive solo in GAA is on board as Kerry ready themselves for yet another tilt at the ultimate prize.
Ó Sé played for Kerry in a challenge against Munster club champions Dr. Crokes at the weekend, a game that also marked the return of midfielder David Moran, who sat out last season with a cruciate ligament injury.
Incredibly, this season will be Ó Sé’s 15th in a Kerry jersey as he made his debut way back in 1998.
He doesn’t seem like a man who would be too concerned about personal milestones, but he has already amassed 77 championship appearances and if he can manage seven more this season, he will overtake older brother Darragh for the all-time Championship appearances record.
Ó Sé was part of the Kerry defence that progressed to the All-Ireland Final last season, a backline that contained five players over the age of 30 (the two Ó Sés, Tom O’Sullivan, Aidan O’Mahony and Eoin Brosnan), but despite plenty of question marks over the Kingdom rearguard last season, none of them have indicated that they are going to call it a day just yet.
Who said it was a young man’s game?
