McFadden prepared for Kerry challenge

Donegal’s Colm McFadden

IT SEEMS that the footballing gods have decided that if Donegal are going to enjoy success this season, then they’re going to have to earn it.

Derry, Tyrone and Down have already formed formidable hurdles to be overcome en route to an Ulster title. Last weekend things went up another few levels when the All-Ireland quarter-final draw decided that the Tir Chonaill men would take on the might of Kerry for a place in the last four of the All-Ireland race.

Not intimidated by the prospect of taking on the men in green and gold, Donegal players say it is a draw that has them licking their lips. This is merely the next step on their journey towards footballing greatness, and a challenge which they will meet with the same vigour and self-belief as those which have gone before.

Colm McFadden underlines that this new Donegal regime are cool, composed and confident. They don’t do panic, and they don’t worry about reputations. They don’t have time to focus on the history of others, they’re too busy writing their own.

“We know plenty about Kerry. We’ve seen them plenty of times, we’ve got DVD’s and we’ve all seen them enough times over the past couple of years to know what they have. Their personnel hasn’t changed that much, or the way they play, but it’s still handling that and getting the better of it that is the challenge.

“It’s maybe a bit strange that you only get the week to prepare. Maybe you should have the second week to properly prepare yourself for it. It might maybe help to break the momentum of the teams coming through the qualifiers as well and make it a more level playing field.

“But that’s the beauty of the competition, you don’t find out until a week before who you’re going to play, and you just have to try to prepare as quick as you can for it.”

The full story is in the current issue of Gaelic Life, published on Thursday August 2. Buy your copy now in your local newsagent, or you can purchase the online version – for only 90p – by clicking here