YOUNG READY TO PUT FOOT ON THE GAS AGAIN
EVEN neutrals were hard pressed to stay in their seats during last year’s rip-roaring All-Ireland semi-final between Dublin and Kerry, so spare a thought for Kingdom defender Killian Young. He was lying on the flat of his back at home — bed-bound by the injury that had robbed him of his place in the Kerry team. Having lined out a centreback for the quarter-final stroll past Cavan, Young was training at Fota Island Resort the week before the semi-final when his season was ended by an horrific injury. There was no agonising wait, scans or fitness tests for the Renard clubman — one glance down at his foot told him his season was over. ‘It was kind of pointing the wrong way anyway. It’s one of those things that you think if it happens, you’ll be absolutely roaring in pain, but you go into complete shock,’ said the 2007 Young Footballer of the Year, who was in a cast for eight weeks after dislocating his ankle and breaking his fibula. ‘My ankle was actually strapped at the time but it was the way the ankle turned over so much, it dislocated, and for your ankle to dislocate your fibula has to break. It all happened in a split-second, it wasn’t as drawn out as that. I looked tough at the time because I was in shock. I was lying looking down at my foot,’ said Young. ‘I didn’t actually feel anything until I got to CUH [Cork University Hospital] and I had the morphine then so I was happy. I’m going to be upbeat about it, I’m not going to dwell on the whole thing.’ Given the severe nature of his injury, Young admits he feared for his football career, but was reassured by Johnny McKenna at Santry Sports Clinic. ‘He was fairly exceptional, I must say. The physios, doctors, everybody, they were very good to me. I had a bit of a knee injury then as well during the year, nothing major, but I got that reassessed. I got a bit of keyhole done as I was out, get everything done and a clean bill of health for the new year,’ said Young, who was unable to travel to Croke Park for the semifinal, which Dublin won 3-18 to 3-11. ‘Due to infection and swelling, I couldn’t actually get out of bed, I had to keep the leg elevated for two weeks. I couldn’t even join the team so that was tough.’ Kerry kick off their Allianz League campaign against Dublin at Croke Park next Saturday but that will come too soon for Young, who is focusing on gym work at present before returning to running in the next couple of weeks. He is hopeful of playing some part in the League as he looks to force his way back into Éamon Fitzmaurice’s plans. ‘You just need game time and that’s what I’ll be looking to get. I’ll be looking to push myself as much as I can. ‘I’m sure the lads will be holding me back a small bit but hopefully I’ll be getting something towards the latter end of the League. ‘Hopefully Kerry will be successful and there might be a couple of extra games at the end as well so we’ll take it from there.’