Maurice Fitzgerald has been named in Kerry’s starting 15 to play Tipperary in the opening round of the Munster Championship at Clonmel on Sunday.
Fitzgerald, relegated to the substitutes' bench for last summer’s championship, will line out at centre-forward. He featured occasionally in that position in this year’s National League campaign.
The St Mary’s clubman is a winner of three All-Star awards (1988, 1996 and 1997) and was named Texaco Footballer of the Year in 1997.
It was confirmed yesterday that Derry dual-star Kieran McKeever was retiring from the football panel only weeks before the county’s opening championship game against Antrim.
It is believed the 33-year-old All-Star informed manager Eamon Coleman of his decision at a training session last week.