Kerry fans can hardly contain themselves as David Clifford starts against Donegal

His time is now.

Eamon Fitzmaurice is not hanging around here. Kerry begin their Allianz Football League campaign, on Sunday, in Fitzgerald Stadium and there are some fresh faces included in the starting team. The headline news is our headline news - Minor sensation David Clifford is named in the full forward line. The Fossa clubman had a sensational 2017 as he helped The Kingdom's young guns to All-Ireland success. His scoring stats were scary:

Vs. Clare - 1-5 - Munster minor quarter final. Vs. Cork - 2-8 Munster semi-final. Vs. Clare - 0-6 Munster final. Vs. Louth - 0-9 All-Ireland quarter. Vs. Cavan - 1-9 All-Ireland semi. Vs. Derry - 4-4 All-Ireland final.

All the talk, in September and early October, was that the teenager could possibly be tempted to switch sporting codes and try his hand at Aussie Rules, Down Under. However, on Terrace Talk, Clifford blew such notions out of the water by joking, "My mother wouldn't let me go!" He then declared:

"It's something I've said to some of my friends, I grew up dreaming of playing for Kerry. I never grew up dreaming of being an Aussie Rules player. "Obviously, as you say, the weather down there may be better and it's a professional game but in my near future I'm just hoping to keep progressing in the Kerry jersey and the Fossa jersey too." 

Stirring words and, this evening, his reward has quickly arrived. Clifford has been named in a forward line with All Star Paul Geaney and Barry John Keane. The Kerry team is captained by Dr Crokes goalkeeper Shane Murphy and contains Shane Enright, Jack Barry and Seán O Sé. https://twitter.com/Kerry_Official/status/956994726380621826 Needless to say, Kerry fans and experts are in raptures... https://twitter.com/KMcGillicuddy86/status/956994979536175106 https://twitter.com/Slyone1069/status/956996286326235136 https://twitter.com/brian_kellyy/status/956999205335322625 https://twitter.com/mrbobdaly/status/956998610696187905 Throw-in for the league opener is 2pm on Sunday.