STAR DUBLIN MIDFIELDER Brian Fenton has been named Footballer of the Year at the GAA-GPA PwC All-Stars tonight.
Fenton, who plays his club football with Raheny, was outstanding for Jim Gavin’s side this year as they made it four All-Ireland titles in-a-row, beating Tyrone in the final.
The 25-year-old saw off stiff competition from team-mates Ciaran Kilkenny and Jack McCaffrey to become the first Dublin man to scoop the accolade since the latter did so in 2015.
Mayo duo Lee Keegan and Andy Moran landed the honour in 2016 and 2017 respectively.
Fenton becomes the fifth Dublin footballer to claim the award; joining a superb group of players in McCaffrey, Bernard Brogan (2010), Alan Brogan (2011) and Michael Darragh MacAuley (2013).
Fenton is one of seven Dublin players to feature on the 2018 All-Star football team, adding to his prior recognitions in 2015 and 2016.
The award of Footballer of the Year was voted on by his peers and Fenton was presented with the silverware at the ceremony at Dublin’s Convention Centre tonight.
Comhghairdeas le David Clifford @Kerry_Official, PwC GAA/GPA Peileadóir Óg na Bliana 2018 #PwCAllStars pic.twitter.com/fD6KkIgocj
— The GAA (@officialgaa) November 2, 2018
Earlier, Kerry and Fossa star David Clifford was named Young Footballer of the Year ahead of Dublin’s Brian Howard and Tyrone’s Michael McKernan.
Clifford enjoyed a glittering debut year with the Kingdom seniors, finishing as second top-scorer from play in the All-Ireland SFC with 3-15 to his name in five games.
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Howard should have got young player
@John Farrell: agreed Clifford didn’t even make it out of the super 8s
@Ruairi Doyle: Its not about how far you get in the championship its an individual award and Clifford was worth his weight in gold!
@Sam Walsh: yeah just look at his stats alone. Magnificent player
@Ruairi Doyle: Clifford well deserved the award. Great talent
@Sam Walsh: generally it is about how far you go. Some provinces are easier than others so it is a factor. Nonetheless anyone would agree he’s too class and shone in a struggling Kerry side.
@Sam Walsh: disagree…he was best of a bad lot for Kerry and did play really well but Howard was immense for the AllIreland champs
@Sam Walsh: where were you all summer.
@BMJF: A kid in his first year at senior, says it all really. No question on who was the better performer!
@Peter Bell: At or watching at least 90% of games….You on the other hand im not convinced. Does that answer your question?
@Sam Walsh: one reasonable game when he saved Kerry’s bacon against Monaghan. Surely its about consistency which he clearly wasn’t
@Tony Kelly: Add the Galway game to that and just his sheer class overall!
Howard over cliffford all day for young player
Should’ve been Kilkenny imo but Fenton a worthy choice too
Well done David Clifford. First season as a senior and young player of the year. Some return.
Kilkenny was top scorer from play in both the league and championship (I may be wrong about the league!)
But he 100% should have been footballer of the year. He was fantastic.
Definitely the correct decision. He was probably Dublin’s most instrumental player consistently all year. Combining defence with attack and dominating the aerial battles in midfield. Congrats from a Galway man
Well done David Clifford fully deserved.
David had an unprecedented amount of expectation more than any Kerry minor coming into a senior team before and he lived upto it.
Get used to it fellas. Dublin player of the years for the next few and diminishing crowds next year
Met Brian Fenton recently at a Raheny GAA Club event ….and was in his company for the evening ….. a genuinely nice guy … gentle and humble off the pitch …. couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy … well done Brian.
Not many comments. A sport in decline for sure.
What does Ciaran Kilkenny have to do? I’m was sure he was a certainty for player of the year – he makes Dublin tick and was a prolific scorer to boot last year.
They also went for the lazy option for young footballer of the year – Howard was immense for Dublin and unlike Clifford was surrounded by huge competition for his place. Clifford stood out cause the rest of his team were underperforming. If you could just pick one of these two guys on your team of the year I’d pick Howard every time
@BMJF: It’s much easier to play better when playing for a better team.
How did Keegan not get this??
How did Keegan not get this??