Flynn hoping for an injury free 2025

As he enters his eighth season as an inter-county footballer, and now one of the elder statesmen of the Kildare team, Kevin Flynn is hoping that a new management regime can help the players look forward after a disappointing few years.

“I suppose they will have all their ideas and new ways that they want to do things, which is important, and I suppose it’s needed after a negative few years and we want to try and put that in the past now and really just try and get a bit of momentum behind us. And just get a bit of energy around Kildare football. There’s definitely a lot of good players and the setup has been excellent so far,” said the Celbridge defender.

On a personal level Flynn, who only returned to training before Christmas after injury, is hoping for a happier year ahead too.

“At the time when I did it against Athy in the group game I didn’t think it was as severe as what it turned out to be. But then I did quite a job on the hamstring.” How as it being back?

“I felt good, perhaps a little bit off the pace at times, didn’t really drive forward as much as I would like to but hopefully that will come over the next few weeks and try and get a bit of form up.” 

Reflecting on the make-up of Brian Flanagan’s revamped panel, Flynn sees it as a “big change up. It’s just a matter of getting the right blend now I suppose between that experience of the older lads like myself maybe and the younger lads. It’s trying to help them as much as possible and make sure they settle into senior football because it obviously is a big step up.” 

He feels the new rules “definitely added to the spectacle. I thought it was quite up and down, probably a little bit more space inside for the forwards but then there is that slow attack from time to time.” 

The three-up, three-back rule will take some getting used to though and it will be down to players on the field to manage it.

“The way it worked today, and we kind of talked about it at half-time, it tended to be the full-back line staying back and the full-forward line tended to stay up, but in the nature of the game I know myself I was fairly gassing in the middle of the game and you’re kind of thinking ‘I wouldn’t mind a little stint in there’.

“And we spoke about it at half-time that it doesn’t have to be the same three. They’re the little things over the next few weeks and into the league they’ll be worked on and it’s not just going to be the full back and full forward line. The nature of the game is up and down.” 

Lots to work on but hopefully a more positive year ahead for Flynn and the panel.