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Eamonn Fitzmaurice with former Kerry manager Jack O'Connor during the 2009 campaign INPHO/Morgan Treacy
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Potential Fitzmaurice Kerry appointment is backed by O'Sullivan

Kerry’s flying half-forward would be pleased if his former team mate was to become at the helm for the start of next season.

EAMONN FITZMAURICE REMAINS the bookmakers favourite to become the next Kerry boss and he has received the support of attacker Darran O’Sullivan if he was to be appointed.

O’Sullivan played alongside Fitzmaurice in the Kerry squad that claimed the 2006 All-Ireland senior football crown and he has revealed he would be delighted if the former defender came on board.

“I have played with him and worked under him and he’s brilliant. He’s definitely one of the best around. That’s something he’ll have to take on board. Obviously his name has been mentioned and the county board are going to look at someone like him.

“If Fitzy came on board I think the players would be delighted. He is close to the players but having said that he has been making big calls as selector before so he has done that and it’s something for him to worry about.”

O’Sullivan admits he was surprised that Jack O’Connor opted not to take up the option of completing his three-year term as Kingdom boss and instead stepped down last weekend.

“I hadn’t  given it much thought but knowing Jack I just thought  he’ll come back and I was hoping he would. Jack is a real football man. Maybe he thinks for himself and the team that things need to be freshened up. From his point of view it is a tough job it is full time and he is not a man to do anything half-hearted.

“Obviously I was very disappointed to see him go but you have to respect his decision. I think he did it for what he thought was for the best of the team and something fresh maybe so it will be interesting to see where things go.”

O’Sullivan agreed with the views expressed by O’Connor on Radio Kerry last weekend that it had been extremely difficult to pick the Kerry players up in the wake of last year’s All-Ireland final defeat to Dublin.

“I have lost All-Irelands before but never in the manner we did and it does still linger. There was something about this year I don’t know maybe because I was injured it never seemed to click into gear all round. It is hard to get over defeats like that you can’t  snap the fingers and have it done. You have to get over it but another season has gone by and another All-Ireland has gone by.”

O’Sullivan is set to embark on a career change shortly as he plans to move to Dublin and pursue a college course. However he will remain committed to his home club of Glenbeigh-Glencar.

“I’m moving up next week. I’m going back to college, on a leave of absence from Ulster bank and trying something new to keep fresh. I’m looking at going to DIT to study marketing. I just said I wanted to try something different.

“Whatever college I go to I will play a bit of football because I enjoy it. I couldn’t be up here watching everyone train. I’m going to enjoy the break as its rare we do get it I don’t have many club games left so I’ll find something to do with myself and come back hungry next year. But I would have no interest in changing club.”

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