McGarrity gives Ó Sé top billing
It is likely to be a key match-up in Sunday's All-Ireland SFC final, but Mayo's Ronan McGarrity is playing down the importance of his midfield battle with Kerry kingpin Dara Ó Sé.
The 25-year-old McGarrity has played through the pain barrier to help steer Mayo into their second All-Ireland decider in three seasons.
He had seen off a dead leg, nerve damage to his knee and concussion this summer to be passed fit for the Croke Park showdown.
The Ballina clubman was overshadowed by the Kerry midfield pairing of William Kirby and Eoin Brosnan when the sides clashed in the 2004 final.
The Kingdom ran out 1-20 to 2-9 winners back then to pick up their 33rd Sam Maguire Cup, and all without the steadying hand of Ó Sé, who was sidelined due to a broken bone in his right foot.
Now back to full fitness, six-footer Ó Sé has showed signs of a return to the imperious form that saw him claim AllStar honours in both 2000 and 2002.
After dominating Cork's Nicholas Murphy and running the legs off Armagh's old hands Kieran McGeeney and Paul McGrane, the An Ghaeltacht giant is clearly a rejuvenated figure.
Whatever happens on Sunday, he will certainly command the respect of his younger and taller opponent.
Basketball international McGarrity, who stands at 6" 5', said: "I'm not an AllStar. Dara is, so all the pressure is on him. He's the sort of player that I have looked up to since I was a young fella.
"He's a phenomenal athlete. I remember when I was 13 or 14 watching him playing U21s. He's phenomenal, the benchmark for midfielders at this point in time.
"He has everything. He's physically strong. He's a good kick-passer of the ball, an excellent fielder.
"He's caught some phenomenal ball this year. He's a leader. He's been around the block a couple of times.
"If I do any good on him at all, I'll be happy."
"The way I'm looking at it, I've nothing to lose. The pressure is really on the Kerry midfielders. Who the hell am I? I've achieved nothing so far in Gaelic football compared to someone like Dara Ó Sé.
"So I'm going to relish the challenge, look forward to it, but at the end of the day if I get beaten then so what? Nobody expected me to do any good."
The country's bookmakers are supporting the Mayo number eight's claims with Kerry almost universally priced at 4/11 to win Sunday's decider. Mayo are surprisingly out at 5/2.
What is certain is the fact that McGarrity's game has blossomed in 2006. His fielding is stronger and his passing crisper. The innovative training methods of Mickey Moran and John Morrison have played their part.
"Mickey and John, they're two loveable guys. I have great time for them. The two boys are like a second father to you," McGarrity admitted.
"Training is all ball work, all different. If you're going to training every day and doing the same things over and over then it gets a bit monotonous. We go training now and you really don't know what to expect. We go out there and wonder: 'What are we doing now?'
"But they're not light on you either. If they know you're not performing then they get on your back and that's what you need.
"The way we approach games is completely different now, but I'm not going to criticise John (Maughan) because he gave me the start and brought me into inter-county football.
"We're not doing as much hard labouring now as we did before. Running laps and sprints…we're not doing that. Everything is orientated around the ball, which makes it more enjoyable. You're still doing the work but using the ball, which makes it more enjoyable."
