GAELIC GAMES NEWS: The classy forward is far from despondent about Kerry's future prospects, writes GAVIN CUMMISKEY

DARRAN O’SULLIVAN is moving to Dublin. But Kerry folk shouldn’t fret, the 26-year-old will still present himself for pre-season duty, whoever takes over from Jack O’Connor this winter. Not that O’Sullivan was pleased to hear of O’Connor’s resignation earlier this week.

“Knowing Jack I just thought ‘he’ll come back’ and I was hoping he would. Jack is a real football man. Maybe he thinks for himself and the team that things need to be freshened up.

“I’m always told change is good but I’m not a fan of change to be honest. It’s going to be something new and someone new to impress so everything is up for grabs again.

“It’s not that I’m looking forward to something different but it will be exciting. I remember when Pat O’Shea came it was a new challenge then so it will be the same this time. The game has changed. I’ve said it before.”

That is another major issue for the exciting wing forward, speaking at the Ulster Bank GAA force club initiative yesterday in Croke Park. For 2012 at least, the Donegal blueprint has surpassed the more expressive Kerry style.

“The best footballers aren’t the best players anymore,” O’Sullivan claimed. “The best players are the guys who can run and run and run.

“If you look at players nowadays, they are pure athletes. If you looked at a game 10 years back to what it is now, it’s probably not the most attractive game in the world to watch at the moment. It’s more about running and the basic skills are being left behind a small bit.

“I’m not saying anything bad. It’s about winning; do it whatever way you can. People will say, ‘you’re only slating Donegal,’ but I have a lot of respect for them. They are a good team and they have brought their game to a whole new level. Their fitness was phenomenal the last day.”

Would he rather lose while staying loyal to the Kerry way?

“I wouldn’t enjoy being told to stay back. That’s not what I do. I would rather watch a game like that. I would rather see a game 22 points to 21 with good scores. The only reason I play football is because I enjoy it. I couldn’t see me playing with another county that plays less free-flowing football.”

He still believes Cork will beat Donegal on August 26th.

“I just think Cork are the best team out there. At the moment. They are the only team who can do both; they can do the running game and the kicking game.”

This year has been a personal injury nightmare for O’Sullivan.

“Yeah, it was a disaster for me to be honest. I suffered concussion in the league and missed a game or so and then the form was slow to come back. I was trying new things in training and it wasn’t suiting me and I went back to what I was doing before and the form was coming back and we played a challenge game and I got injured and I spent six weeks without training with the boys.

“My first week back training with them was the week of the Donegal game. I was playing through games only half fit, just poor timing. It wasn’t the worst injury in the world it was a small tear in an awkward position in the hamstring and took ages to heal.”

It has all prompted a move up to Dublin next week, where he returns to college having taken leave of absence from his employers in Ulster Bank. A Sigerson Cup panel is going to reap the benefit, possibly DIT.

Despite O’Connor’s departure and age profile of the Kerry team, the three-time All-Ireland winner is adamant the Kingdom are not entering a period like the famine that lasted from 1986 to 1997.

“I don’t think there is a rebuilding process needed. People mention Tomás and Paul but the two of them were our best performers throughout the qualifiers. The likes of Declan and Gooch are only 29 and at the peak of their powers at the moment so I don’t think so.

“We have enough young fellas coming through on the bench that are getting good experience. I don’t think it is that big a deal. It is not the end of the world we got beaten. . . There are a lot more teams capable of winning the All-Ireland than there were a few years ago . . .”

On a successor to O’Connor, Eamonn Fitzmaurice sits well with him. As would the return of Donie Buckley as coach. “If Fitzy came in I’d be delighted. I have played with him and worked under him and he’s brilliant – he’s definitely one of the best around. I think the players would be delighted. He is close to the players but . . . he has been making big calls as a selector before so it’s not something for him to worry about.”