Jack Glynn on the differences playing with David Clifford and Shane Walsh
Lee Costello
Lee Costello
“It’s crazy how different they can be.”
Jack Glynn was the 2022 Young Player of the Year, and when you look at the fact that he played with both David Clifford and Shane Walsh, it’s easy to see why he managed to be one of the standout defenders last season.
The young Galway star enjoyed quite the breakthrough campaign last season, winning a Connacht title with his county and reaching the All-Ireland final.
However, before he pulled on the maroon jersey of the Tribesmen, Glynn was playing in the Sigerson Cup for UL alongside the Kerry talisman that is Clifford.
No sooner was the university football over was he thrust into county action where he paired up with Walsh, meaning that he spent the year training and playing with two of the biggest names in Gaelic football at present.
It’s hard to imagine better preparation for a young defender than going up against these two frightening forwards, but Glynn reveals that although they are the two best in the game and play the same position, their styles are actually very different.
“They are obviously both the best players in the game at the moment, but they both have different styles of play so it’s kind of interesting,” said Glynn while speaking at the launch of the Electric Ireland HEC & Camogie Third Level Media Day.
“When you’re playing with David and with Shane you would notice small little things, like Shane would be very athletic, he could turn you on a half pence.
“David is so smart, it’s just so insightful to play with him and interesting to see how different they are, but how good they both are.
“It’s crazy how different they can be but still be at the top level of the game and their different styles of play is something that will be talked about for years to come.
“They’re both unbelievable players, Shane would be very athletic and is always taking on his man, he’s so explosive.
“David is just out of this world in terms of how skilful he is with the ball, and seeing how they both play, it’s clear that they are very different players.”
Stylistically they may not be the same, but one common trait that they both share is their professional attitude and desire to be the very best they can be.
Pictured is University of Limerick and Galway footballer, Jack Glynn, as Electric Ireland teams up with six intercounty Camogie and GAA stars to look ahead to the upcoming matches and rivalries across the Electric Ireland Camogie Third Level Championships and the Electric Ireland GAA Higher Education Championships.
“The reason they are at the top level of their game is the amount of practise they put in. You always see them behind after training taking extra shots, and they’re always first for training.
“Ultimately they are the players who drive on their teams and they take up a leadership role as well, along with being the standout player.
“It’s a great experience to be able to play with both of them and see how they both operate, and you can also take little snippets from both of them in terms of how to approach the game; how professional they are, how they conduct themselves around the team environment and how they conduct themselves in training.”
