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Kildare's Dermot Earley and Johnny Doyle after their 2009 loss to Tyrone. INPHO/Lorraine O'Sullivan
Lilywhites

Kildare's Doyle sad at the retirement of his 'good buddy' Earley

One Lilywhite great has bowed out of the inter-county scene while another still soldiers on.

KILDARE’S JOHNNY DOYLE has expressed his sadness at the retirement of Dermot Earley from the Lilywhite ranks.

The long-serving midfielder recently called time on his inter-county career due to injury.

Doyle faces into the start of a championship campaign tonight as Kildare face Offaly in Croke Park without his ‘good buddy’ being part of the squad.

“I definitely felt it probably a little bit more than most lads because your good buddy had moved on. I was very disappointed. Before he announced it he rang me and we had a good chat about it.

“I’d be very close to Dermot, we were in the same class all through secondary school and we were always good buddies. I lived a bit outside Newbridge in the country and when I’d stay back for football. Mary Earley would feed me and I was always a regular in their house when I was younger.

“I was sad really when he told me. It was the end of an era. We have soldiered together for an awful long time and it just felt like the end of an era that one of your mates was moving on.

“Hopefully he will get back and he is hoping to play a bit with the club. No doubt he will come back to haunt us at club level. He has a lot of close links with the team and I know Dermot he will be giving the young lads a shout and wishing them well.

“And for a young lad, to have Dermot Earley picking up the phone and chatting with them is a big thing. He would have been a bit of a hero to them.”

Kildare’s Johnny Doyle.
Pic: INPHO/James Crombie

Doyle insists that he is continuing to enjoy playing football at such a high level himself.

“It is back to the same reason I started playing football in the first instance, I just enjoyed playing it. Touch wood I have been very lucky with injuries and that is a big plus.

“I have a young family, one daughter, but I have great support at home from Siobhan. I’m sure there are times when she is giving out when I am going out the door but in fairness she would always support me. All those things are in my favour.

“You can do so many things, you see lads going off golfing and here and there. I can do all that when the window closes on my inter-county career but now I just have this window to play and when I’m injury free and pushing myself hard I am still enjoying it.”

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