"You jump at that opportunity to get a player of that quality back in"- O'Flaherty return a boost for Kildare

Eoghan O’Flaherty was one of the highlight names on the list when Cian O’Neill announced his panel on Sunday afternoon, with the Carbury star returning after two years away from the county team. The 30-year-old stepped away from the panel following the 2016 season as he was getting married and also building a house, but O’Neill has kept a watchful eye on the experienced forward as he starred for his club over the past two years. There had previously been attempts to coax O’Flaherty out of his self-imposed exile, but it wasn’t until now that the Carbury man has felt the time was right to come back into the fold. It will add another bit of much-needed experience to a youthful forward line, with O’Flaherty set to be the only player over the age of 30 for the 2019 season following the retirement of Eamonn Callaghan. “He’s a great guy to have in the dressing room and is a very intelligent, crafty footballer,” remarked O’Neill on his return. “He had his own reasons – he was getting married and building a house. He felt he could commit now. I’ve been watching him closely club wise, and these guys you always try and meet with them and chat with them and if they’re ready to come back in. He made his decision and he was happy to step away, and I was happy to support that, but as soon as he said he was ready to come back you jump at that opportunity to get a player of that quality back in. That’s a positive for the group on the pitch and off the pitch; he’s a terrific role model.”