A TWO-TIME Kerry All-Ireland senior football winner has joined the Roscommon backroom team ahead of next season.
Roscommon manager Kevin McStay has confirmed that former Kerry netminder Declan O’Keeffe will be the county’s goalkeeping coach next year and will also have an input into overall team preparation.
The news was revealed by McStay when speaking to Shannonside FM. A native of Rathmore, O’Keeffe was between the posts for Kerry’s All-Ireland final victories against Mayo in 1997 and Galway in 2000.
O’Keeffe was also previously part of the Ireland International Rules squad and after moving to Clare, he lined out for St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield in the 2011 county senior football final in the Banner county.
McStay will be able to call on the majority of this year’s squad for the 2017 campaign but there are doubts over the participation of three experienced players – Neil Collins, Cathal Cregg and Senan Kilbride.
Neil Collins
Senan Kilbride
Cathal Cregg
Source: James Crombie/INPHO" title="">
Source: James Crombie/INPHO" title="">
Source: Donall Farmer/INPHO" title="">Collins was in defence while Cregg and Kilbride played in attack when Roscommon lost April’s Division 1 league semi-final against Kerry.
Roscommon contested the Connacht final against Galway when injury forced Collins out but both Cregg and Kilbride were in action for a game that the Rossies lost out convincingly in a replay at Elverys MacHale Park.
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