Fitzgerald may return after McNamara's appointment

The future of Clare goalkeeper Davy Fitzgerald is back under the spotlight following the ratification of Mike McNamara as county hurling manager for the coming year. Fitzgerald found himself in a stand-off with previous manager Tony Considine, resulting in his season-long exile from the panel, but the way appears to be cleared for his return under McNamara, depending on discussions over the coming weeks, writes Ian O'Riordan

For now neither Fitzgerald nor McNamara is commenting on the potential outcome of those discussions. Fitzgerald is concentrating on Saturday's county championship quarter-final with his club, Sixmilebridge, while McNamara, who was appointed unanimously at a county board meeting on Tuesday night, won't be making any definite plans until after he finalises his backroom team.

However, speaking on local radio, McNamara made it clear his Clare team will be picked on form, and while he wouldn't be drawn on any talk of players still in form, Fitzgerald has been going to some lengths to prove his form is as good as ever.

"I think it's fair to say Davy Fitzgerald has been proving lately he's still among the best goalkeepers around," explained county press officer Des Crowe. "In fact I would say he'd get his place on any team in the country right now, including Kilkenny.

"In five Clare championship games to date he has only let in two goals, and it's quite clear he's out to prove he's still among the best. His performances have been exceptional."

Fitzgerald, who recently turned 36, would be among the oldest and most experienced intercounty players around, having debuted in 1990, although his enthusiasm for the game is of a player half that age. And McNamara would know well his influence on the team from his days as team trainer under Ger Loughnane during Clare's All-Ireland glory years of 1995 and 1997.

At this stage the only member of McNamara's backroom team is coach Alan Cunningham, who worked under another former Clare manager, Cyril Lyons, and also the Clare minors, and Wolfe Tones club. However, it is understood McNamara is lining up a couple of Clare's former All-Ireland winners, some of whom are involved in this weekend's county quarter-finals at Cusack Park.

On Saturday, Wolfe Tones play Clarecastle and Kilmaley face Sixmilebridge; while on Sunday it's Corofin against Crusheen, and Tulla against Newmarket-on-Fergus.

McNamara was seen as a key member of Loughnane's All-Ireland winning management, before moving on for periods as Galway trainer under Noel Lane, including the year they reached the 2001 All-Ireland. He later spent two years as Offaly manager. "Mike was also our under-21 manager in 2005, the year they were very unlucky to lose to Tipperary," added Crowe. "It may be that he'll want to start a whole new era, or maybe not. That remains to be seen."

Clare also confirmed Frank Doherty as their new football manager, replacing Páidí Ó Sé, with his selectors already agreed as Kieran Kelleher and James Hanrahan.

Meanwhile, former Armagh football captain Kieran McGeeney has reacted cautiously to reports linking him with the Kildare management position. Kildare are searching for a replacement for John Crofton, and McGeeney came into the mix following his retirement from intercounty football last week. "I've been approached by people for this past four or five years," he stated. "I get approached regularly every year

. . . It's like everything else, you just don't know where your path will lead. A couple of weeks ago, I thought I would be with Armagh, but that's not the way it ended up."

The Kildare County Board have said it will be another week at least before any appointment is made, and it is understood any role for McGeeney will depend on additional talks with former Armagh number two Paul Grimley. After opting out of the Cavan management team, Grimley was first in line to succeed Joe Kernan in Armagh, but that job went instead to Peter McDonnell, to the disappointment of McGeeney.