PAUL GALVIN HAS backed former Kerry team-mate Colm Cooper’s decision to have a testimonial dinner.
The Gooch has been criticised in some quarters, with GAA Director General Páraic Duffy saying this week that he won’t support the event as it goes against the ethos of the association.
However, 2009 Footballer of the Year Galvin, who won four All-Irelands with Cooper, disagrees with Duffy’s comments and revealed he will be attending on the night.
“I know Paraic Duffy made some statements on it yesterday [Thursday],” Galvin said during an interview on Off The Ball.
“Listen, he’s done a great job, the GAA is in great health and nobody can fault his role but I’m not sure he realises how his comments came off.
I thought they were quite mealy-mouthed and quite small to say that we can’t have a situation where an individual profits from the GAA and clubs don’t profit. That doesn’t seem right to me.
“At the end of the day, he [Cooper] is giving some money to his club anyway as it turns out. It doesn’t change anything for me. I’m going along and I’ll support him fully. I don’t see why he has been criticised in the manner he has been.”
Galvin added: “You have to realise that this Gooch is a tough guy. He’s got a tough mentality and he’s smart as well. He’s able to see the wood from the trees, he’s able to deal with criticism and he’s able to constructively go ‘This is what it is’.
“People from the outside can comment and say what they like, but they don’t really understand what it’s like to put what you put into your career and then to be told you can’t do this kind of thing.”
Watch the Off The Ball interview below:
https://www.facebook.com/offtheball/videos/10159492493030441/
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