"We're exporting a lot of them"

Pat Spillane ©INPHO/Laszlo Geczo

Pat Spillane believes Eamonn Fitzmaurice’s appointment as Galway manager comes with a significant challenge given the record of Kerry men who have moved into management with other counties.

Fitzmaurice, who guided Kerry to the All-Ireland title in 2014, agreed a three-year term with Galway last week and will be tasked with ending the Tribesmen’s wait for Sam Maguire, with their last triumph coming in 2001.

Speaking on the Indo GAA podcast about Fitzmaurice’s appointment as Galway boss, eight-time All-Ireland winner Spillane said:

“The only thing that pisses me off, this is now the sixth Kerry manager that has left this county to manage another team.

“You've had Micko, Páidí [O'Sé], Micky Ned [O'Sullivan], you had Jack O'Connor, you had Peter Keane, and now you have Eamonn Fitzmaurice.

“Outside of Kerry county managers, there is something like 20 Kerry footballers that have now managed other counties from Paul Galvin, to John Kennedy, to John O'Keefe, Mike Quirke. We're exporting a lot of them.

“The only sobering thought regarding the Eamonn Fitzmaurice appointment is the history of outside managers coming in to manage counties isn't very good.

“It's only two managers coming in that have managed [to win All-Irelands] – Eugene McGee with Offaly and John O'Mahony with Galway. It's a poor record for outside managers.”