Former Kerry forward Sean O'Sullivan reckons Kingdom boss Eamonn Fitzmaurice has "something us his sleeve" for the returning Paul Galvin.
The 35-year-old Lixnaw native stunned the world of Gaelic football last night by reappearing at the All-Ireland champions' training having retired from the county setup last year.
"I was very surprised, Oisin," O'Sullivan told Newstalk's Oisin Langan this morning. "I thought Paul, when he decided - around this time last year, actually - to walk away from the Kerry setup and he said his goodbyes, that we wouldn't be seeing him in the green-and-gold again.
"His decision to return has definitely raised a lot of eyebrows down here. I suppose the big question going around this morning is 'why?', and 'what has he got left to prove?'. He's done it all. His list of achievements in the game is long: it includes All-Irelands, All Stars, Munster championships.
"It also carried with it some bad days in the Kerry jersey for Paul in relation to discipline stuff."
O'Sullivan, owner of four Celtic Crosses himself, added: "It's taken the county by surprise. He's a guy who I know well from playing with Kerry ... there must be something driving this [decision]."
"It's a huge call by him, and it's a huge call by Eamonn."
Now that he is back, the question is where will the 2009 footballer-of-the-year fit in?
"I saw somewhere over the weekend that Eamonn Fitzmaurice has something like 16 forwards to choose from for six places," continued O'Sullivan, "there's huge competition for places in the forwards now.
"You throw a fit-and-ready-and-able Paul Galvin into that ... he has to be a contender for one of those spots as well.
"But I just feel that maybe Fitzmaurice has something up his sleeve for Paul. Before he left the panel last year, he was being tried at centre-back. It would not surprise me a bit if Paul was tried in the backs somewhere - it wouldn't surprise me if he gets back on this team and if he does I could see him possibly slotting in somewhere possibly in around the half-back line in a position we wouldn't be familiar seeing him in."
Paul Galvin makes dramatic return to Kerry panel: http://t.co/6JIr5bUuuT pic.twitter.com/Ruw60pm4wh
— Independent Sport (@IndoSport) March 4, 2015
O'Sullivan also thinks that Galvin's influence will stretch far beyond on-field performances. "He brings something different as well," he said. "We lost Declan [O'Sullivan] who is a real natural leader in the squad.
"Eamonn ... could be looking at this from a non-playing - not that Paul is coming back just to sit around and advise people - but Eamonn could be looking at the effect Paul would have on the dressing-room and off the field. He's a guy that's held in huge respect down here.
"I've no doubt it will have given the squad a huge lift to see Paul walking into training last night."
However, O'Sullivan warned: "Paul will be under no illusions that this isn't going to be a case of him walking straight back into a first XV."
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