The All-Ireland final was only three and a half minutes old when Paddy Durcan heard his quad going ‘uh-oh…’
The scorching pain tearing down his right leg ten minutes later should, and would have meant game over for the vast majority of footballers. That Durcan stayed playing, virtually on one leg, is a testament to his mental toughness and resolve but keeping Ciaran Kilkenny scoreless for 34 minutes of the first half and on the periphery for most of it, is frankly ridiculous.
The biggest compliment you could pay to the Castlebar Mitchels club-man’s steely showing is that by the start of the second half, when he was subbed off for Michael Plunkett, it was a change that caught most onlookers off guard.
“The second incident, just before the water break, I was in my full stride then,” the De Facto Shaving Oil ambassador says.
“That was a real pull and it really restricted me. I tried to manage it as best I could for the last bit of the first half to just get by and not be found out too much but it certainly limited me and there is no point in saying any different. I was not at near full capacity. I went over to the doctor and said ‘look, I am in serious bother here.'”
“The decision was made at half-time then and James changed things up. It was the right decision, there is no doubt about that. It was what it was, it was disappointing initially but there is no point being too down-beat about it. I am positive and optimistic and hopefully I will be able to move on from it this season and show what I am able to do…”
He’s glad the league didn’t have its normal start date because he would almost certainly have missed it.
“To be honest I haven’t been able to do an awful lot myself with the quad injury I got in the final, I have been getting scans and stuff on it just to see where it is at and consultation with the physios so I haven’t been doing a whole amount myself, only the rehab and monotonous stuff and a light bit of running but I look forward to getting back in the next few weeks whenever we get the green light…”
Losing an in-form Durcan was a potentially game-shifting blow for Mayo, given the blistering displays he’d romped through the championship with. That he wasn’t awarded with a second All-Star was a decision that was questioned by many but this man isn’t bitter.
“Look, I won one last year and it was the first one for the club so it was a massive couple of nights between celebrating that in the clubhouse and stuff. So I certainly wouldn’t belittle it in any capacity. It was great to win it then.
“I knew I was definitely in contention to win one this year and it would be close, but obviously I didn’t get picked or whatever. But I wouldn’t have massive complaints for it either to be honest with you. Would have loved to have won it, knew it was close. To be honest it’s very subjective anyway. I think no matter what team you pick, you’re going to have some people saying it’s a disgrace X or Y didn’t make it. It’s open to interpretation and like I said I wouldn’t have massive complaints over it. I know it probably was close but I wouldn’t feel overly hard done by in any sense.”
"The Kilkennys, Fentons, James McCarthys, Con O'Callaghans and Cluxtons – These are, the special, the outstanding players that are driving that Dublin team and that's what an All-Star is…"
Has the concept of the All-Stars been diluted? 👇https://t.co/UVKqqyVuk5
— The GAA Hour (@TheGAAHour) February 25, 2021
As for the breath-taking style of football that marks him out as the most prolific, and exciting half back in the game, Durcan says that man-marking jobs aren’t there to restrict players. As a wing back, he’s cognisant of his defensive duties but also aware of his abilities to make things happen.
“It is a combination between the two (attacking and defending.) Throughout the last couple of years, I have had different jobs, be it against Dublin or different opposition, sometimes playing half-forward, sometimes half-back, sometimes in the full-back line. When they are on the ball, my job is to defend and I pride myself on that. I don’t think you can limit yourself to just that.
“When we have the ball and it is time for us to play, I don’t feel that I should limit myself and if I can put them on the back foot and make them do a bit of chasing, I think that’s a positive. It is fine balance. It is not all out attack or it is not all defence. You have to balance to two. There is no point me just sitting in there and being happy to just do a job and stop somebody, I’d like to think I can offer a bit more than that and use my strengths.
“As an individual, you want to challenge yourself against the best players because you know where you’re at fairly quickly then, I can tell you. I love it. I’ve been lucky enough, playing in the half forward line, half back line, full back line, with all thesen different challenges. I’m happy enough to do whatever I’m asked to do and to try and do a job for the team but certainly, to impose my attributes on it too and to bring what I can bring to it.”
That man brings a lot to it.
WATCH: Liverpool BOTTLED the title race 🤬 | Who will win the Premier League?
