The Ireland manager was speaking at Saturday night’s GAA Awards.
Martin O’Neill has heaped praise on Kilkenny boss Brian Cody and says that the efforts of soccer players often pale in comparison with their GAA counterparts.
O’Neill feels that inter-county players’ commitment to the game is second to n0ne and says that he has become a far bigger Gaelic Games fan since beginning to work with Roy Keane.
“I just wanted to say about the players and how the game has changed,” O’Neill said.
“Watching the final between Kerry and Donegal, it is amazing that these are amateur players with the effort they put in. Sometimes they put our game to shame to be perfectly honest. The strength, the determination, the will-power, the desire and the skill is just amazing.
“I know that there are tactics now in the game that have evolved during the course of time that probably didn’t exist when I was growing up. Certainly I don’t remember Derry having any tactics other than Jim McKeever catching everything in midfield and playing balls into corner forwards.
“But overall the game has evolved. It’s a smashing game — love it. Roy Keane has really got me involved in the hurling now as well. Big time.”
Turning his attention to Cody, who won his tenth All-Ireland title with the Cats in September, O’Neill said he planned to speak to him about the upcoming European Championships qualifier against Scotland at Celtic Park.
“Can I just digress for a second to pay tribute to Mr Brian Cody sitting there in the front seat, who I just mentioned is probably the finest manager in the game,” said O’Neill.
“Really, really fantastic and his record is really unbelievable. I’ve already pigeoned him to have a chat with him later on to see if we can try and get a result against Scotland between us. He said he has got no interest whatsoever but he will talk to me for ten minutes. If that’s all he can spare, I’m happy to do so.”
