THE BUILD-UP to the last Kerry-Cork All-Ireland football final was both good and bad for Daniel Goulding. Brought into the Cork team for the semi-final against Meath because of an injury to James Masters, he played well and kicked three points, but, with speculation rising that he might hold his place for the final, then manager Billy Morgan decided to go with Masters instead.

By half-time, the switch wasn’t working and Goulding came in for the second half but within seconds of the re-start the match evaporated before Cork’s eyes, as they gave away a comically awful goal and ended up losing by 10.

Goulding managed 1-1 in the time he was on the field, but doesn’t see any relevance in what happened two years ago.

“I thought it was a low-key final two years ago, to be honest. We were in that game at half-time, down two or three points. Neither team had played well and we just didn’t get the breaks in the second half.

“There’s a lot of new players since then and a lot of players gone, retired, but we’ve still the nucleus of that side. The fellas that have come in have pushed everyone else and there’s great competition for places.”

He also rejects any notion there is a revenge agenda, playing Kerry again in next weekend’s final.

“I don’t think so. You’ve to play these games on their merits. We won’t be worried about who we’re playing; we just want to win the game and I don’t think getting caught up in playing Kerry should be part of it.”

His views can’t be dismissed as just bravado, as he is one of a successful generation of Cork players, who dominated Kerry at under-21 level, and he has three provincial titles at that grade, as well as an All-Ireland won in 2007 in a final against Laois in which he kicked the winning score as well as a crucial goal that prevented their opponents getting away in the first half.

Keith Ricken is the GAA’s long-serving development officer in Cork IT. Earlier this year Goulding was one of the team, together with county team-mates Ray Carey, Paul Kerrigan and Colm O’Neill, that brought home the Sigerson Cup for the first time after a final in which his proficient dead-ball kicking yielded nine points out of a 1-15 total.

“His biggest strength is that at the end of every match there’s always numbers after his name,” says Ricken. “I’ve been involved with him since he was a minor and he could be quiet for 55 minutes and still come off with 1-3 or 1-4 got. All top-class forwards have that ability, to wear down a defender – no matter how enthusiastically he might start the match.

“Daniel has that concentration. He’s a job to do and – it could be after three minutes or in the last two minutes – it doesn’t matter when it’s done.”

So far that’s been very clear with the player having 2-16 to his name so far this season.

Ricken disagrees that Goulding’s rise to senior status has been slow, pointing out the difficulties for that age group in progressing to the very top level of the game.

“It’s a big step up from under-21 to senior. There are a lot of things going on for players that age – focusing on a career, exams and they’re still growing and filling out and often working on weights programmes to build themselves up.

“Daniel was also competing for a place with a player of the calibre of James Masters, who’s a prolific, left-footed scorer himself.”

Even though he has reason to be satisfied with his performances against Kerry in Munster, Goulding acknowledges that Cork’s opponents are Croke Park specialists and that provincial experience has frequently been meaningless when the counties meet in All-Ireland contests.

“This year I don’t think the teams – especially Kerry – were going at full tilt. Going through the qualifiers they seem to progress and get back into the shape of things and once they get to Croke Park they seem to be tuning themselves for that.

“They’re more used to it than we are. We have been on more of a learning curve.”

According to Ricken though, Goulding learns fast. “It’s hard to say it now without cringing, but Daniel has an X-factor that’s not just about football, but leadership qualities and a calmness about him. He’s also a very bright guy, not a one-dimensional footballer and is doing a masters (in engineering), which combines teaching with his research work and he’s very good at it. If Daniel decides this is what he wants to do, he will get there.”

For the player himself, being on the verge of his first senior AllIreland start and carrying the burden of expectation familiar from his under-age days is a career pinnacle and he doesn’t deny the associated anxiety.

“I think if you don’t feel nervous before a game there’s probably something wrong with you. You see the Kilkenny fellas talking about getting nervous before games and they’ve seven All-Irelands so I think it’s only human.”

Daniel Goulding

Club: Éire Óg

Occupation: Post-graduate student Cork IT

Date of birth: July 6th, 1986.

Height: 6ft 1in.

Weight: 14st.

Honours: All-Ireland U21 (2007), Munster SFC (2006, '08 and '09), NFL Division Two (2009), Sigerson Cup (Cork IT, 2009), Railway Cup 2008.