DAVY FITZGERALD WILL square off against the Limerick hurlers tomorrow but the Clare boss will be well-acquainted with the opposition camp.

His role directing the fortunes of the Limerick IT Fitzgibbon Cup sides has brought him into close contact with several of the Limerick camp.

Paudie O’Brien isn’t slow to credit Fitzgerald for helping to influence his career.

“I would know Fitzy pretty well from my college days. I have to say I couldn’t have a bad word to say about him.

“I started the Fitzgibbon Cup final (in 2008). I was only 17 or 18 and I suppose when I look back on it, it was probably a time where I struggling to break on with Limerick.

“He always gave me a lot of confidence and I always enjoyed every game I played with Fitzy and with LIT and all the friends that I made there. I rate him very highly as a manager and as a coach.

Come the 24th I’ve no doubt he could be roaring at me or doing whatever but I like that about him. I respect him that about him. You need characters like that in the game.

O’Brien isn’t the only Limerick hurler to have come under the tutelage of Fitzgerald with Seanie O’Brien, Paul Browne and Gavin O’Mahony other examples of players who have benefitted from the Clare boss involvement.

“I tell you a lot of stuff we did there stands to me now I’d like to think,” says O’Brien.

“A lot of the Limerick lads that are there now were in LIT under Fitzy and a lot of Clare lads. You ask a lot of them about professionalism back then, what Fitzy brought to them was unbelievable.

He expects high standards but he sets very high standards himself. This is the best way you could put him, when you’re against you’re him but when you’re with him, he’ll back you. That’s the way I’ll probably look at it.

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