Russell ready, willing and able

AT this stage of his football career some might feel David Russell should be tipping away at club level with Kilkee, his inter-county career done and dusted. They could cogently suggest that after 12 years wearing the county jersey, the now silver haired Kilkee midfielder owes his county nothing.

Now 34, Russell’s first championship season culminated in Clare reaching their last Munster final in 2000. Then aged 22, Russell was part of a county team playing in its third provincial decider in eight years.

 

The fact that Clare haven’t made it back there since hasn’t  deterred him nor has it edged Russell towards inter-county retirement. He’ll keep going as long as he gets the call and if his legs continue to hold out. He’s had to adjust however to sitting on the bench and trying to make an impact late in the game. He’d prefer to start but accepts that his days of playing full games for Clare are behind him.

“Even more now that we’re in a Munster final, you want to get on that field and start. But if you don’t get picked on the Tuesday night, you definitely adjust and say ‘look, I want to get on the field as soon as I can’. In my own personal view I have probably 40 to 50 minutes full whack to offer. After that I’d be gone,” he acknowledged, noting that some of his former county colleagues pulled the plug before their time.

“When I came onto the panel I probably played all the time. Then in the last year or two I’ve had to accept a reduced role. It’s a different challenge and one that other players in the county didn’t accept. They just left the county scene completely. There’s no such thing as retiring with me. If I’m wanted, I’m wanted, that’s the way it has to be and that’s the way it should be. There’s other lads, I’ll mention no names, who could have kept going. You could do more in 20 minutes than you might do in a full hour on the pitch. One minute could win a Munster final for you,” Russell said, his competitive mentality showing no sign of diluting.

Letting his imagination loose for a moment, Russell loves the idea of togging for huge championship games in July and hopefully even August.

“We’re not used to it too much in Clare. It’s great to be playing in July and hopefully we’ll be playing in August. The more times you play in August the better for the younger lads anyway. Everybody has played great games in February, March and April but that doesn’t really test your skills. July and August are the months to play football and maybe later on in September,” he observed.

On the training field, Russell enjoys passing on a few tips to his younger team-mates, particularly if they are big men like himself.

“Even the likes of Gary (Brennan) is still young. He gives an odd look and says ‘you cute hoor’ or something like that. Shane (Brennan) is watching me now and I enjoy doing that, showing lads different things like how to deal with throw-ins and things like that. Being bigger men, you have to think ahead of your player and have the trick done earlier. That’s what you learn with age and having played a lot of it,” Russell reflected.

He attributes Clare’s 2012 consistency to the fact that Micheál McDermott is in his third year in charge, thereby ensuring managerial consistency.

“Other managers we had down the years didn’t stay long enough, whether they were good enough or not, I don’t know.

“Definitely with Micheál McDermott being kept for a few years and bringing Micheál Cahill on board and other lads, that has built unity and has definitely helped. You have to build relationships with a manager and that helps to build trust. That’s a big thing,” Russell believes.

Twelve years ago Tommy Curtin, Noel Roche and Pat Begley guided Clare to the Munster final. David Russell was barely out of nappies in inter-county terms and could never have envisaged he’d be in his mid-30s before his next provincial decider.

“It’s like two careers. I played in a Munster final in 2000 but I can’t really remember it. It’s so long ago and so much has happened since. When we played in 2000 we were hoping that maybe we’d get another chance in our 20s but I’m 34 now.

“The first round of the championship that year was my first game. When I was 22 there was no fear for me. It stood to me that I hadn’t the fear and maybe the same thing might help us on Sunday,” he suggested.

Whatever happens against Cork, fear of man or moment won’t interfere with David Russell’s innings.