It wouldn’t be like Kieran McGeeney to have a trick or two up his sleeve – and you thought it was just biceps up there.
The Armagh manager has unearthed a hidden gem in the Orchard county that has helped transform their form this season and leave them one game from promotion to Division Two.
Once their defensive shield manning the gates of the team’s rearguard, Ciaran McKeever finds himself at the other side of the pitch now leading the offence.
The legendary defender has been turned into a potent full forward and if anyone knows that position, Steven McDonnell knows it better. Rather than being precious about what it takes to make it as an inter-county attacker, McDonnell can’t speak highly enough of the positional change.
The Killeavy man already sang the praises of McKeever’s impact at full forward in his new blog and on the latest GAA Hour football show, he was palpably excited at what this new move has brought to Armagh.
“I’m excited about Ciaran McKeever in there, believe it or not,” McDonnell told SportsJOE.
“I never thought I would see him play in the full forward line at inter-county level but what he does, his movement is absolutely exceptional. He could teach many young forwards a lesson in terms of how to move.
“He’s got vast experience and his movement is so intelligent.”
But just how good are his runs? What exactly is he doing to set him apart? And can he shift his body to get away from defenders?
“He mixes it up, he thinks about his runs, sometimes he drags his man to the sideline, sometimes he jinks and he checks,” McDonnell said on The GAA Hour.
“Too often in the modern game, you see too many forwards making straight line runs and that’s very easy to defend. Not once in the games I’ve seen has Ciaran McKeever made any straight line runs.
“He makes the run at the right time knowing that, when he goes, the ball is being delivered. Another key thing to his game is that he wins the ball and if somebody is coming off his shoulder, he’s not selfish, he’ll lay it off.
“He’s got two goals and a few points in the last few games because of his work rate and his knowledge of knowing where to be at the right time. He’s a thinking footballer and that’s very, very uncommon in the modern day.
“He can shift over 10 or 15 yards, absolutely. There’s no-one more explosive over 10 or 15 yards. When he reacts to something, he’s out in front of his man.”
And there’s one man who deserves the brunt of the praise.
“I think this is very intelligent management from Kieran McGeeney’s point of view and it’s something that a lot of the supporters probably won’t recognise.
“I think it’s very smart management – man management and managing a player who adds vast experience to the team but will offer something totally different to the team as well.”
Listen to the full yarn on McKeever (from 48:40) below.
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