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MICHEAL QUIRKE wants to make one thing very clear. He is not - repeat, not - poised to fill the boots of Darragh O Se for the All- Ireland champions this summer.
With the venerable O Se now retired after a remarkable career, Kerry are in need of a midfield enforcer. Quirke, standing 6'7" tall and weighing around 16 stone, is an obvious candidate.
Just don't tell the Kerins O'Rahillys giant that.
"Any fella can catch a couple of balls in the square," he said.
"That's the easiest catch to make in football inside in the square because no other fella can come in against you. "I would, as much as possible, like to distance myself, in any way, that I'll be replacing Darragh O Se, left, - make a note of that , underline it.
"I certainly wouldn't like to get attached to a label of trying to replace Darragh O Se.
"This guy is a freak of modern day football. He's played 16 Championship seasons with Kerry, he's been an ever present in every team.
"He's either been Man of the Match or close to Man of the Match in most of his 80 whatever Championship games. That kind of stuff doesn't happen.
"Darragh O Se comes along once in my lifetime, and in you guys' lifetime.
"You cannot possibly replace Darragh O Se with any footballer so we are just trying to do as much as we can with what we have."
And, remaining as he is close to O Se, Quirke cannot see the great man returning - even if the Kingdom are in need. "No, I don't think so," said the Tralee native. "I'd say he's done and dusted. I think, by all accounts he's still playing well with the club but no, Darragh O Se will not be playing again for Kerry.
"At this stage he deserves his retirement and I'd say that one is dead and buried."
With that out of the way, Quirke admits that he would love to nail down a starting slot in the green and gold this summer.
He has been a little on shanghai escort the fringes since his first appearance for the seniors seven years ago, when he featured as a replacement in the Munster final win against Limerick.
"I certainly hope so," he said. "Last year I was coming on with 20, 25 minutes to go in pretty much all the Championship games.
"When I look back on it, it was a role that I actually enjoyed. I saw that as a privileged role because I was being brought on to do a job and close out a game.
"When I look back on it, it was certainly a position that I was delighted that I had and I enjoyed doing it, even though I was disappointed at the time. I want to start every game, but if that's not to happen it's there for David Moran, inset, or Anthony Maher or whoever. Darragh is gone but it is just a matter of who is the best guy for the job and obviously I want that guy to be me."
Quirke added: "If I was managing the team I'd do a lot of things differently - I might be playing in a lot of positions!
"Obviously I have no control over it other than what I do in the games I play. It is down to Jack (O'Connor) and the lads on the management team.
"All I can do is as much as I possibly can to shanghai escort get myself in the position to take the jersey come championship time."
One thing is certain, he will be giving it 100 per cent to make the line-up for Kerry's opener against TipperaryReplica Watches
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