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Colm Cooper - 'I didn't kick a ball all year, I wouldn't think I deserve a medal'

And was it ever a runner for the Gooch to make a dramatic comeback for Kerry in the All-Ireland final?

Colm Cooper lifts the Sam Maguire Cup. Cathal Noonan / INPHO Cathal Noonan / INPHO / INPHO

HE WAS THERE every step of the way with Kerry’s victorious squad this year and cherished the celebrations of their All-Ireland win like every other player.

But Colm Cooper doesn’t know if he will be entitled to an All-Ireland medal and doesn’t feel he deserves one either.

Since he tore his cruciate on February 15th last, Cooper has been in rehabilitation mode. He was cast in the role of observer as Kerry plotted a route towards September glory and piggybacking on their success to get a medal now is not something that sits right with the Dr Crokes man.

“I wouldn’t be looking for one anyway,” revealed Cooper yesterday. “I don’t feel I deserve one. I didn’t kick a ball all year. While being part of it is great, I wouldn’t think I deserve a medal. Those are the guys who did all the work all year so they deserve it.”

Colm Cooper Colm Cooper at the launch of the Lucozade Sport Kit Out Project. Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

Cooper also revealed that it was never on the cards that he would make a dramatic appearance for Kerry in last month’s All-Ireland final.

Cooper did return to training with the Kingdom on the Tuesday night before the game – the training session where a man was infamously discovered attempting from a tree to watch Kerry’s behind-closed-doors session at Fitzgerald Stadium.

But even though the Gooch did tog out as part of the Kerry squad on match day in Croke Park, he was never in a position to play and fast track his recovery from the cruciate injury he suffered last February.

“I’d played some of the football on the Tuesday night. That’s the night he was there, the one night of the year I played football, there was a guy up a tree! I just played on the reserve team and just joined in. It wasn’t full tilt football either.

Full Contact

“In terms of full contact, I was never really going at that pitch. When Eamon (Fitzmaurice) sat down to pick the team, I was never going to be in that mix. When you’re kicking ball and joining in drills, you can fool yourself in to thinking you’re very close. In the bigger scheme of things it was never going to happen.

“Even in Kerry, I couldn’t walk down the street without being asked the question. ‘Is there 10 minutes in you, is there 5 minutes in you?’ No matter how many times you say no to people, they’ll still ask the question. That’s just the hype of an All-Ireland, you take that as it comes.”

*****

Colm Cooper at the launch of the new Lucozade Sport Kit Out Project. Sports clubs and sports enthusiasts around Ireland can get kit by collecting promotional codes. The Kit Out Project offers essential sports kit such as balls, cones, jerseys, bibs and much more. For more information visit www.lucozadesport.ie

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13 Comments
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    Mute frank mullen
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    Oct 7th 2014, 8:06 AM

    The Gooch, Tommy Walsh, Star and James O Donohue in the Kerry forward line next year – frightening !!

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    Mute Michael cunnane
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    Oct 7th 2014, 8:09 AM

    If the man up the tree was checking to See if the Gooch was training, then he must have been causing the bould Jimmy a few sleepless nights so I say GIVE THAT MAN A MEDAL and no more about it.Ciarrai Abu

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    Mute Mary Murphy
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    Oct 7th 2014, 8:14 AM

    He should get one for commitment alone!!! He is a legend.

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    Mute Suas Síos
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    Oct 7th 2014, 8:32 AM

    Same commitment a lad gives to recover from cruciate in Longford.

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    Mute Ciarán
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    Oct 7th 2014, 12:26 PM

    Classic 2 trick pony. Of course his 2 tricks are being the best footballer of his generation and being a gracious teammate and human being. His performance against us in last years semi was exceptional, can’t wait until we see that gooch back in action

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    Mute Bluemist
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    Oct 7th 2014, 8:15 AM

    After seeing the match last night I don’t think any player deserves a medal I though it was a basketball match

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    Mute Marv
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    Oct 7th 2014, 9:45 AM

    Are you sure you weren’t watching a basketball match!!!

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    Mute Summer Bay Devil
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    Oct 7th 2014, 9:51 AM

    Brilliant comment. Very witty.

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    Mute Seoirse Ó Duíc
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    Oct 7th 2014, 10:14 PM

    Gooch back next year, James, Tommy Walsh, Donnchadh, the Geaney cousins, O’Brien, Buckley, Star, Lyne, Declan, Darren; certainly the best forwards pack in the biz

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    Mute Gaz
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    Oct 7th 2014, 1:12 PM

    Tommy Walsh hasn’t played gaelic in years. And played a handful of games in afl over the last three years. No afl team wants him. He’ll be cleaned up by the better backs of Ireland. Meaths Kevin Reilly would eat him alive for one

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    Mute Barry Cushen
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    Oct 7th 2014, 4:48 PM

    Any chance you’re from Meath?

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    Mute Seoirse Ó Duíc
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    Oct 7th 2014, 10:15 PM

    Played a lot of games in the VFL though and had years of professional training and coaching. Also kept up his footballing skills

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    Mute Summer Bay Devil
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    Oct 8th 2014, 9:49 AM

    Dead right. Marty Clarke was useless and Down only made the All Ireland Final for the first time in 16 years when he was back……

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