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Plotting Colm Cooper's remarkable career through his 10 All-Ireland finals

‘The Gooch’ made a habit of producing the goods when the Sam Maguire was on the line.

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2002: Cooper competes in an All-Ireland final in his first season with the Kerry seniors but the Kingdom lose out to Armagh by one point in a thrilling encounter. Cooper, at just 19 years of age, scores two points in the final.

Colm Cooper celebrates a goal against Cork as Anthony Lynch can only watch on. INPHO INPHO

2004: Cooper wins his first senior All-Ireland medal and the Dr Crokes man is the star of the show, scoring 1-5 (1-4 from play) in a 1-20 to 2-9 win against Mayo.

Colm Cooper celebrates a goal against Mayo. INPHO INPHO

2005: Cooper suffers All-Ireland heartbreak for a second time as his five points can’t help the Kingdom from going down to Tyrone on a 1-16 to 2-10 scoreline.

Colm Cooper battles for possession with Tyrone defender Ryan McMenamin. ©INPHO ©INPHO

2006: Cooper makes up for his disappointment against Tyrone just 12 months later as Kerry romp to an emphatic 4-15 to 3-5 success against Mayo. The corner-forward registers 1-2 in an impressive display, claiming his second All-Ireland medal.

Another All-Ireland final, another goal for Colm Cooper. Cathal Noonan / INPHO Cathal Noonan / INPHO / INPHO

2007: Kerry and Cooper go back-to-back, this time with an All-Ireland final victory against old rivals Cork. Cooper is the game’s top scorer with 1-5 as Kerry again secure a comfortable victory, by 3-13 to 1-9.

Colm Cooper celebrates finding the net to the dismay of Cork goalkeeper Alan Quirke. Andrew Paton / INPHO Andrew Paton / INPHO / INPHO

2008: Mickey Harte’s Tyrone once again get the better of Kerry and deny the Kingdom a three-in-a-row. Cooper notches six points (three from play) but the Red Hand County claim a memorable 1-15 to 0-14 victory.

Colm Cooper reacts to a rare missed opportunity in the 2008 All-Ireland final. James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO

2009: Cooper and Kerry reach their sixth successive All-Ireland final and once again face their Munster rivals Cork. ‘The Gooch’ extends his reputation as a big-game player, notching six points en route to a 0-16 to 1-9 win. It’s Celtic Cross number four for Cooper.

Donall Farmer / INPHO Donall Farmer / INPHO / INPHO

2011: Cooper plays his first All-Ireland final against Dublin but the Kingdom skipper suffers an agonising one-point defeat, Stephen Cluxton’s late free sealing it for the Dubs on a 1-12 to 1-11 scoreline. Cooper once again finds the net on his way to a personal haul of 1-3, 1-1 from play.

Cathal Noonan Cathal Noonan

2014: After returning from a serious knee injury Cooper finds himself in the match-day panel for the All-Ireland final against Donegal. However, the Killarney wizard doesn’t feature from the bench in a 2-9 to 0-12 victory. He insists he doesn’t feel deserving of a fifth All-Ireland medal.

James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO

2015: Cooper and Kerry are facing a Dublin team on the rise who are targeting a third title in five seasons. ‘The Gooch’ fails to score as Jim Gavin’s side prevail in sodden conditions, by 0-12 to 0-9.

Cathal Noonan / INPHO Cathal Noonan / INPHO / INPHO

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Quiz: How well do you know the great Kerry football career of Colm ‘The Gooch’ Cooper?

Touch of class: 13 goals that sum up what Colm Cooper was all about

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