JUST days after Kerry team boss Peter Keane stressed that James O’Donoghue was training and available for inclusion on the matchday panel for Sunday’s Munster Final in Killarney, it is reported today that the star forward has left the inter-county squad and will concentrate for now on playing with his club.
The Killarney Legion attacker, who was Footballer of the Year in 2014, lined out for the first half of his club in the county league on Saturday evening and contributed an impressive 1-2 in the victory over Kenmare Shamrocks.
It is understood that Peter Keane was not aware of O’Donoghue’s plans when he engaged with the press at an online briefing on Friday.
The Legion player, who turned 31 in June, has had his playing career severely hampered by injuries, not least a problematic shoulder problem that has seriously stymied his progress.
O’Donoghue, a double All-Star recipient and an All-Ireland winner in 2014, has not been included in any of the matchday squads in this season’s championship and he hasn’t worn the green and gold since the league clash with Galway in February of last year.
