
HE has played right up there alongside him for years, winning numerous medals together and terrorising opponents with their all-action relentless offensives so few are better placed than Daithi Casey to evaluate Colm Cooper’s real worth to Kerry football.
And, in a nutshell, he reckons, the five-time All-Ireland winner and holder of eight All-Star awards is simply the best player to ever play the game.
Casey, who has just been named Munster Player of the Year after a series of stunning performances for his beloved Dr Crokes in the AIB All-Ireland Club Championship, said he doesn’t know if the Gooch will play on with Kerry this year but he sincerely hopes that he does.
“I think everyone in the whole country wants to see him coming back. I would certainly love to see him back playing with Kerry for another few years,” said Casey.
He added: “He’s the best that’s ever played, in my view, so I would love to see him back.”

The former All-Ireland Under 21 Championship winner said he considers himself very lucky to have played alongside Cooper for the past decade and he contributes much of his own success to the influence of his Dr Crokes team-mate.
And now that Cooper has fully recovered from serious knee and shoulder injuries, Casey reckons the Gooch is as good as ever.
That’s not good news for Connacht champions Corofin who will try to stymie the enormous influence of Cooper when the sides meet in Saturday week’s All-Ireland semi-final in Limerick.
And in the unlikely event that the man dubbed the greatest player to ever play the game has an uncharacteristically quiet day, the Munster Player of the Year will be very close by to show all the tricks he has picked up from the master.
The conveyor belt of exceptional talent is well-oiled by Dr Crokes and by Kerry.
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