Under The Influence: Past students assess the old master

Ger Power (Kerry): "He is first and foremost a players' man. I suppose he took charge of Kildare having established himself as a leading light of Kerry football and he commanded respect straight away. His preparation was thorough, every player knew what was expected. He was always forward thinking, from training methods through to small details. We went through a sort of routine on weekends of big games in Dublin - went for a walk on the Saturday evening and talked things through. It's no surprise to me to see him bringing Kildare on. He continues to raise the ante, from overall fitness to supporting the notion of some sort of financial reward for the players as the demands continue to grow. His input to Kildare has been immense and I'm sure he will hammer home to them the fact that this is their golden opportunity to take an All-Ireland."

Eoin Liston (Kerry): "The thing that impressed me most about him was his approach to training. He realised that, for instance, my needs at training differed greatly from Ger Power's and he would work with me accordingly, so that the whole team peaked at the right time. Mick mixed with the players to a degree. I got to know him well from living near him and travelling to training and games together and he is great company. But he kept a certain distance and the fact that he doesn't drink enabled him to avoid a lot of the social situations. Football consumes him. Mick is incredibly competitive. I can't tell you the amount of unsportsmanlike conduct I have endured through games of squash and golf with him. Many a well driven ball found its way to the rough. No, he is just a natural competitor, loves to win. That attitude will have rubbed off and the Kildare lads."

Seanie Walsh (Kerry): "He was a great man to motivate a team. It was a gradual thing, very thorough, he didn't just go in for the speech beforehand. As a manager, he had the perfect temperament. He was undeniably friendly, made a player feel relaxed and could be great fun if the team went on holidays or whatever, but he did draw a line. There was a distance there. Coming into the Kerry panel at first was a bit of a culture shock for me in terms of the demands placed on us by Mick. It is obviously a lot more severe now - he wouldn't have been too hard on us in the winter - but you did have to change your lifestyle to an extent. It is no surprise to see him guide Kildare this far.

The sense of discipline he brings and his own experience shines through in Kildare's style of play."

Paddy O'Donoghue (Kildare): "When Mick O'Dwyer came to Kildare in 1990, football in the county was at the lowest ebb I had ever witnessed and I had been on the panel since 1976. We had been beaten by Wicklow in the Championship and things looked bleak. My first impression of the man was that he was a fanatic. It seemed he had to be to even contemplate travelling so far to take us on. The transformation in the following three years was incredible, with a League final and two Leinster finals. He raised our game through training really. He got a panel of about 35 together and we put in some intense work and if you couldn't hack it, you left. He was never a man to concentrate much on the opposition, he was more concerned with getting us to play our own game. The lads he introduced in the early '90s matured this year. Watching them win a Leinster title is something I'll never forget."