Joe Brolly has never been shy about sharing his opinions, and when it comes to David Clifford, the former Derry star is absolutely gushing. In his latest assessment of the Kerry forward, Brolly went as far as calling Clifford a “footballing terminator” and the comparison is hard to argue with when you watch the man play.
Brolly made the point that what separates Clifford from every other player in the country right now is not just his skill, it is his mental makeup. Most players, even the very best ones, carry some level of nerves into big games. They need time to settle, time to find their rhythm, time to shake off the pressure of a packed stadium and a nation watching. Clifford, according to Brolly, simply does not operate that way.
“He does not need to recuperate, he does not experience nerves or fear,” Brolly said, and anyone who has watched Clifford glide through a championship game would find it very difficult to disagree. The Fossa man has this almost eerie calmness about him when he has the ball. Defenders close in, the clock ticks, the stakes rise, and Clifford just looks like he is playing a kickaround in a field back home in Kerry.
Brolly painted a vivid picture of what it is like to be a defender tasked with marking Clifford, describing them as looking like “walruses clinging to a boat.” It is a funny image but it captures something real. Some of the best defenders in the country have been made to look completely lost when Clifford gets the ball in his hands. He has this ability to create space where there is none, to see angles that nobody else sees, and to finish with a composure that borders on unfair.
What makes Clifford so hard to contain is the combination of everything he brings to a game. He is physically strong, quick off the mark, and has a football brain that seems to be running about three steps ahead of everyone else on the pitch. But it is the mental side that Brolly keeps coming back to. The idea that Clifford can walk into an All-Ireland final or a crunch Ulster clash and feel absolutely nothing in the way of pressure is what puts him in a completely different category.
Kerry fans have known this for years of course. Since Clifford burst onto the scene he has carried the weight of expectation that would crush most young players and he has done it while consistently delivering some of the most breathtaking football the country has seen in years. He has that rare quality where the bigger the occasion, the better he seems to perform.
For defenders across the country, the challenge of stopping Clifford has become one of the most discussed tactical problems in Gaelic football. Teams set up specifically to limit his influence, double up on him, try to push him into areas where he is less dangerous. And still he finds a way. That is not just talent, that is something deeper, a confidence and a clarity of thought that cannot be coached into someone.
Brolly has always had a sharp eye for what makes a truly great player tick, and his analysis of Clifford cuts right to the heart of it. Talent will only take you so far. At the top level, when the pressure is at its most intense, it is the players who can switch off the noise and just play their game who end up defining eras. By that measure, Clifford is already one of the greats of his generation and he is still only getting started.
For Kerry supporters heading into the championship, having Clifford in that full forward line is not just a comfort, it is a statement. And for everyone else, the question is not whether Clifford will perform on the big days. The question is just how much damage he is going to do.