FIRST HE was gone and then he was back. Diarmuid Murphy retired from the game after winning his fourth All-Ireland two years ago to crown a distinguished career, which included three goalkeeping All Stars.

A year later the break turned out to be merely parole when manager Jack O’Connor came calling.

“Last year I was playing with the club and really enjoyed myself,” according to Murphy. “We’d always played with the club, but now I got a chance to train with them as well.

“Jack asked me did I want to get involved about this time last year. I said I would and naturally enough when you get involved you’re naturally watching things a little closer than you had been doing before. I’ve enjoyed breaking down other teams and looking at the tactics they bring to it and how we can counteract that.”

So he was subsumed back into the set-up with a special brief to keep an eye on the goalkeepers. Murphy’s had been a reliable presence during the previous decade, his shot-stopping phenomenal and without which Kerry wouldn’t have won the 2009 All-Ireland – for the simple reason that had he not kept out David Kelly’s last-minute penalty in the qualifiers, Sligo would have sensationally eliminated them in Tralee.

The build-up to big matches is particularly solitary for goalkeepers, whose drills are specialised and whose individual responsibility is possibly the loneliest aspect of the position. Preparations for Sunday are accordingly less pressurised than they used to be.

“When you’re a player you’re trying to look after your own performance and your own build-up to the big game. When you’re part of the management panel you’re worried about 31 fellas really, how they’re shaping up and what sort of form they’re in. It’s a big difference, all right.”

He’s also aware of the evolving priorities for goalkeepers. One niggling criticism of his own playing days was the lack of variety in his kick-outs, an issue that has now become almost as important as the traditional duties and functions of the position.

Murphy believes that even since he packed away his gloves the demands have changed.

“Even since I stopped playing a couple of years ago the kick-out is the big thing.

“Restarting the game is almost an art in itself. The kicking tee coming in five or six years ago has given a greater flexibility to goalies and – especially at under-age level – it’s made a big difference in that guys can be more accurate with kicks.

“It’s not just beating the ball out to the middle of the field any more. There’s a lot of thought and a lot of tactics gone into it. That’s been the big change, even in the past two years.”

The goalkeepers he mentors haven’t arrived with the experience he acquired when serving as understudy for Declan O’Keeffe for three years.

“Brendan (Kealy) came into the team and did really well. He hadn’t even been on the panel until last year. It’s rare for some fella to come straight in off the street onto the Kerry team.

“He did really well and this year he’s kicked on and his last few displays have been excellent. We’re happy with the way he’s playing. Hopefully, there’s another big one in him.

“He’s an excellent shot stopper. That’s one of his strong points and he’s very good at restarting a game as well. We’ve also brought Tomás Mac an tSaoir into the panel this year and he’s a good young prospect who’s really improved since the start of the year.”

Part of the pressure on Kealy is that the Kerry defence hasn’t been on top of its game this year, yielding goal opportunities at an uncomfortable rate. There has been much comment about the advancing age profile of the back six, only one of whom, Killian Young, is younger than 30.

Murphy is however plausible when he points out that there is an upside to a defensive unit with 24 All-Ireland medals between them.

“Age is only a number. Our backs have great experience of playing on big days in Croke Park. That experience has stood to them so far this year when teams have changed their style of play against us and the lads have been able to adapt, to adjust to suit that.”

If there is one respect in which Dublin are seen to have had an advantage this season it is in the intensity of the matches they had to negotiate on the way to a first final in 16 years. In particular the semi-final against Donegal’s packed defence was a scary afternoon with the calamity of another defeat at the penultimate stage looming large for most of the match.

Kerry hit their stride against Mayo and never looked seriously threatened. Murphy demurs although he needn’t bother, as the county are well practised at setting their own standards rather than being guided by the opposition’s.

“From our own side all we can really do is when you’re drawn against a team is go out and play them. If you win, great and if you don’t you’re out. All you can do is play what’s put in front of you.

“I thought Mayo gave us a good check-out the last day, a really good test but we finished strong and kicked the last few scores of the game.

“A different set of challenges face us on Sunday.”

Diarmuid Murphy

Club: Dingle.

Kerry selector: first season.

All-Ireland SFC medals: 2004, '06, '07 '09.

All-Ireland U21 medals: 1995 (captain) '96.

NFL medals: 2004, '06 '09

All Stars: 2004, '05 '09.