Old warrior still eager to do battle

In focus / Armagh footballers: Gavin Cummiskey talks to Armagh's source of inspiration and leadership, Kieran McGeeney, ahead of their clash with Cavan on Sunday.

This Sunday in Clones Armagh will seek to overcome a resurgent Cavan while Kieran McGeeney will look to kick-start his championship campaign with a win. The lynchpin of Armagh's defence through recent good times, McGeeney's current priority is a return to full fitness.

"This year has been very frustrating for myself. There has been a series of injuries coming over the last 18 months, but I'm still competing. Although they said I wasn't at my best last year it was just a different style of play we had and I was doing my job."

McGeeney is still Armagh's leader and inspiration, while the names that stopped many a team's progress in recent years are still there. Óisin McConville, Steven McDonnell and the McEntees (John and Tony) all go into battle this weekend, but aren't they getting on a bit now?

"They keep saying that but I think they keep looking at me because I'm the only one around that age," McGeeney says.

"We've brought in three new players since, say, 2000; Philly Larkin, Andy Mallon and Martin O'Rourke, all of whom have been excellent for us and very young.

"If you look at our full-forward line the last day; Paddy McKeever's 24, Ronan (Clarke) is 21 and Steven (McDonnell) is 24. They are only starting. In the half-forward line Martin O'Rourke in also 24."

At 33, McGeeney is an old-timer in football terms. A man who has always been mentally strong, he believes the body will answer the difficult questions he asks in the coming months. When the time comes to walk away McGeeney is confident he will know.

"I think I will see it myself. You sort of know. I'm still able to do it. I played in Australia as well so I can't be that far off the mark. I suppose you set a standard for yourself and if you're not there people start to ask questions. Believe me, Joe Kernan is not the type of man who holds on to somebody for nostalgia."

With John McEntee and McGeeney still to come in, Armagh will be expected to go up another notch from their hugely impressive showing against Monaghan on day one. Although that day had a lot to do with settling a year-old score.

"It was a better performance than last year but if we were honest we caught Monaghan on a bad day. They're not as bad as they played and I don't think we are as good as the performance suggested either. This time last year we lost a game and everyone said we were finished but we ended up getting to an All-Ireland final and were just beaten by Tyrone.

"We could go out on Sunday and get beaten. Then people will say: 'oh the hunger is gone, the legs are old'. Cavan hammered us in the league, they maybe beat us by 14 points. When their forwards get going they are very hard to stop. Any team would find it hard to live with them."

They have being saying that about Armagh for some time now.