'Phenomenal, scary, immense, awesome' David Clifford has RTE pundits drooling

Irish Daily Mirror

2 days ago

The pundits are quite literally running out of superlatives for Kerry superstar David Clifford after another spellbinding display art Croke Park.
The Fossa attacker landed 0-9 from play to tear Donegal's All-Ireland dream apart and he looks certain to land another Footballer of the Year award.
With a brilliant supporting cast in the All-Ireland final, led by his brother Paudie, David Clifford ran amok and stunned Donegal with three two pointers in the first half alone.
Tomas O Se said recently that Clifford was the greatest footballer of all-time and he certainly wasn't changing his mind after the final display at Croke Park.
Asked if he was the greatest by Jacqui Hurley on The Sunday game, O Se replied: "I think he is, without doubt.
"He does stuff on good and bad days. He is playing in an era where defences are physically so strong and zonal defences are so organised.
"We all said in Kerry when he was blasting 2-8, 2-9 in minor games - wait til he gets to senior. He's doing the exact same at senior level with the best defences in the country.
"I think he is the greatest of them all like. We wouldn't like to give him a big head, like," smiled O Se.
"(Peter) Cavan, Mikey (Sheehy), Gooch (Colm Cooper), whoever it is like, I think he's on a level. He's judged differently as well."
Dublin's six-time All-Ireland winner Paul Flynn backed up that view. He said: "I think that's across the board now. To lead this team the way he has this year is just the cap stone. The rules have given him a new life, given him space. Nine points on average, it's a sick joke really. It's phenomenally good.."
Mark McHugh, brother of Donegal star Ryan and an All-Ireland winner himself in 20012, said the prospect of Clifford was scary for the rest of the country right now.
"I think he's actually getting better and that's the scary part of this whole thing. He's got leaner this year and the new rules are suiting him to the ground.
"The one good thing for Donegal coming up here today, at least they got to watch him play."
"It was a joy to watch," said Mayo ladies GAA legend Cora Staunton on The Sunday Game. "It's poetry in motion. His first two points were two pointers.
"Everything he did was just immense. At times he was drifting out, he was just brilliant. He had 12 or 13 possessions, nine points from play. I think he was a man possessed all year, he had that fight and aggression. That's 8-62 this year. Averaging nine pints a game, he's just phenomenal.
"We talked two weeks ago about him being the greatest of all time. Without doubt, in the All-Ireland final today, he's certainly the greatest footballer at 26 years of age. Five All Stars already, two footballers of the year and probably another couple of awards coming at the end of the year as well." Kerry's David Clifford celebrates with his son Ogie and the Sam Maguire Cup
Tyrone All-Ireland winner Enda McGinley was in full agreement.
"(Brendan) McCole didn't do a lot wrong. He went for a face to face marking job but Clifford took off and cut that tight behind his Kerry teammate that McCole had to step off two metres otherwise he would have been hit by the screen of the laying off Kerry player. That gave him his metre or two for his score. He was so efficient, so sharp, he was awesome."
Ciaran Whelan was quick to point out the role of his brother Paudie. The playmaker had an astonishing 76 possessions in the final.
"He is the quarter-back. He was on so much ball, it was nearly criminal from a Donegal perspective," said the Dublin hero.
'He has a bit of everything. He gives, he goes, he can score. He's physically strong. You can see in his interview, he's a leader in the group too. He's the conductor in the orchestra. I think he has it all.
"David is the best we have seen. He is a very different type of player."