Fitzmaurice currently lacks experience at the top level of management and having the 76-year-old O'Dwyer involved in an interim capacity was seen as a possible way forward.

There was support for a managerial pairing of the wily O'Dwyer and physical trainer Donie Buckley, as Kerry look to steady the ship following last week's departure of Jack O'Connor.

But O'Dwyer, who guided Kerry to eight All-Ireland SFC titles between 1975 and 1986, feels there are other more suitable candidates out there.

Speaking to the Irish Independent, the Kerry legend insisted: "I did my term and that's it. It is time for others now."

O'Dwyer, the most successful manager in the history of Gaelic football, has been out of the management game since his five-year involvement with Wicklow came to an end 13 months ago.

Asked about the current Kerry team and their future prospects, he quipped: "We keep hearing about how Kerry football is on the way down and how there will be no more All-Irelands for a while, but I don't know where's that's coming from.

"There have always been - and there still are - lots of fine footballers in there. One or two disappointing results doesn't change that.

"Kerry lost last year's All-Ireland by a point and this year's quarter-final by two points, so what's all this talk about Kerry being in serious trouble? There are lots of counties who would love to be in that sort of trouble."

O'Connor's final season in charge saw Kerry lose to fierce rivals Cork in the Munster Championship, and they suffered Croke Park defeats to Mayo in the Allianz League semi-final and Donegal in their recent All-Ireland quarter-final clash.

O'Dwyer remains confident though that the Munster giants can turn things around next year, adding: "People were saying Kerry were right back in the thick of things after beating Tyrone and now it's supposed to be all gloom and doom. Nothing changes that quickly.

"There's nothing wrong with Kerry that can't be fixed. Talk of Kerry being left behind makes no sense."