BoyleSports

Diarmuid Connolly Pays Tribute To Lee Keegan In Wake Of Retirement

Diarmuid Connolly on Jan 20, 2023 at 12:59 PM
Blog diarmuid connolly
Many people would put the Diarmuid Connolly and Lee Keegan rivalry up at the very top of gaelic football rivalries of the last twenty years.

Dublin legend Connolly has praised Keegan’s influence after the Mayo man announced his retirement from inter-county football ahead of the 2023 season.


WELCOME TO THE BOYLESPORTS BLOG & NEWS SITE

Let’s reward you with some Free Bets!

Sign up to BoyleSports in Ireland & GET €40 FREE BETS WHEN YOU BET €10! T&Cs apply

Sign up to BoyleSports in the UK & GET £20 FREE BETS WHEN YOU BET £10! T&Cs apply

Keegan Names Connolly His Toughest Opponent

The pair were often found in close quarters during the fierce rivalry between the two counties in the 2010s and five-time All-Star Keegan recently singled out Connolly as his toughest opponent having found himself on the losing side in four All-Ireland finals at the hands of Dublin between 2013 and 2020.


Now Connolly has returned the compliment, saying his old foe will be a significant loss for the Mayo side.


“What a season he had last year,” Connolly told BoyleSports. “He was probably Mayo’s standout player to me."




"It was a bit of a shock to me to see him hang up the boots so early to be honest."


""

Mutual Respect In One Of The Great Gaelic Football Rivalries

Connolly played most of his football for the great Dublin team of the 2010's from the half forward line where he caused nightmares for opposing defenders with his ability to ping balls over the bar from both his left and right boot anywhere within 60 yards of goal.

Keegan was Mayo's premier half-back which meant he always drew the assignment of the opposition's best forward. This paved the way for the titanic tussles between the two great players which became an eagerly anticipated almost annual matchup towards the climax of the All-Ireland Championship season.

He’s a guy I really admire; when he played at number five he was really hard to stop, he took your focus because he liked going forward a bit and getting on the scoreboard.


""

Connolly Recalls Moment Of Magic From Keegan

The Mayo man was not only one of the best man markers in the country but he was also the best attacking wing back of his generation. These elite attacking and defensive abilities made Keegan the Footballer of the Year in 2016 and Connolly recalls one of the key moments from that year's final when Keegan showed off just how dangerous he was in attack.

He caught me on the hop in the All-Ireland Final replay in 2016 when he got a goal off the run of play and that can knock you for six.


""

"We were lucky to win that game; they didn’t get over the line against us, so it may be disappointing for him never to get a Celtic Cross medal."




But I have great memories of playing guys like that. He may have been sent to man-mark me, but sometimes I ended up doing the marking.


""

"A lot of sides went defensive against us, but to be fair to Mayo they went toe-to-toe and that’s why the games were so exciting and often so close."



Keegan Calls Connolly The Better Player

Speaking on The Mayo Football Podcast in the wake of his retirement, Keegan humbly stated "I knew he was better than me" when speaking of Connolly. The Dublin legend took the chance to reply to those comments with the utmost respect to his former rival.

I don’t believe I was a better player than Lee Keegan, I just played a different game. He was a top player for the Mayo side and they’ll miss him this season.


""

All-Ireland Football Betting Odds

All Ireland Odds 2023

Read More Of Our Trending Stories:

All-Ireland Football Odds 2023 & Provincial Championship Betting

Ireland’s Odds To Win The Six Nations In 2023

NFL Divisional Round Saturday Predictions & Previews

*Prices subject to fluctuation

Remember, always gamble responsibly. Here’s our Safer Gambling Guide.



2014-2024 Boylesports.com All rights reserved.