GAA News

New Kerry boss Eamonn Fitzmaurice has said that the chance to manage Kerry was too big an opportunity to turn down.

By Declan Whooley

Speaking to Newstalk Breakfast this morning for the first time since his appointment, Fitzmaurice said he had to go with his gut instinct as the offer was “too big an opportunity to turn down”.

"My age and lack of experience was a factor, but after thinking of all the positives and negatives there were many more positives” he revealed.

Fitzmaurice managed the Kerry U-21s this year and got his first taste of the action as a selector with Jack O’Connor in 2009 and 2010 and says it proved a great learning curve.

“I learned a lot from Jack and it certainly helped me develop in a management role” the Finuge clubman admitted. He was also involved in the senior set-up this season and does not think managing players he played with will be an issue.

“I’ve been involved in the management side of things already and players are used to me being a selector. I’ve gone across that divide already and as long as there is honesty on both sides it should not be a problem”.

His first role is to get a back-room team in place which he hopes to have covered off by the end of October and will be speaking to all members of the panel in due course. He is keen to give senior players space as the National League is “probably the furthest thing from their minds at the moment”.

Fitzmaurice is under no allusions to the size of the challenge ahead of him.

“I am fully aware we have to do a bit of rebuilding but we will have to try and have a bit of success while doing it. That will be our challenge to get the balance right and we’re looking forward to it” he added.