Lee Keegan has tonight given his first interview since he announced his retirement from inter-county football a few days ago. We’re delighted to reveal that he’s done this interview with Mike Finnerty on the Mayo Football Podcast.
This new podcast episode, featuring an in-depth interview with Lee that runs to over an hour, is now online for club members on Patreon. This pod is a special bonus one which is exclusively available to our loyal, growing band of Patreon club members.
If you’re interested in joining the club and getting access to this pod as well as other great podcast content all year round, you can do so here. Our best value option is annual membership, which is available at a 10% discount off the standard monthly rate, and so costing just €54 plus VAT.
Brilliant interview, gave me goosebumps. Strange feeling to look back on those 11/12 years now… what a treat we had.
Makes sense that he cites 2013 and ’17 finals as his biggest regrets. He rightly talks about how in ’13 Mayo destroyed every team on the path to September, starting the final well, but letting the Dubs back in with a soft goal. And how the game just slipped away from them in the end. In ’17 they couldn’t have done much more, as he alludes to.
I’m glad he sounds assured in his decision. As we expected, he confirms that he’s an all or nothing footballer, so if he committed it was going to have to be 100% or nothing. But his head wasn’t in it. Sad for us, new and exciting chapter for Lee.
I truly hope we see him in some coaching capacity for Mayo in the future.
Yes – 2013 was Mayo’s real peak and we were definitely best team in Ireland that championship.. its ten years ago but still haunts me to this day. Have made peace with the rest as either weren’t good enough or couldn’t have done anymore (2017), and I don’t think we could claim to be as good as Dublin since 13
I usually would not bother me, that not a member of patreon, as I would get no work done, if I had more Mayo Gaa content to listen too. But missing this interview, is something I would love to hear, as I sure was brillant, as Lee, was for over 10 years. Been my favourite Gaa player. That saying something when on a team with Andy Moran, Cillian O’Connor, Keith Higgins and Colm Boyle. We have been blessed with footballer like this. And there more guys I admire, for dedication to cause/ and not end of skill to delivery the holy grail. Enjoy retirement from Intercounty, sure you still be tearing up and down Mayo Gaa Club fields for next 5/6 years.
What about 2016 final when Denis Bastick in the final play of All Ireland ?? final picked ball off the ground in Dublin square Had Conor Lane given the free in to Mayo for this foul Mayo would have been All Ireland ?? Champions 2016
Brilliant podcast . Was great to hear his views on things .He is very strong mentally. I found it interesting how he answered the questions about regrets and how it will sit him him not getting the Celtic cross .His answers were were most philosophical.
Great attitude and outlook on like . Be great to have him involved in some way he would have a lot to offer young lads .
Really interesting, educational interview. So much to take in. It would repay second or third listenings.
I also think I could learn things personally from listening to Lee’s approach to games. I understand that he trained hard and seriously, and once that done and under the belt, he let the performance in games take care of itself. He believes in going out to enjoy the game with a smile on your face. There was a lot of maturity in this interview.
Brilliant interview! Mike asked all the right questions and allowed Lee to develop the points. He must be a joy to interview with such comprehensive replies. Sixty eight minutes which never dipped. Every player aspiring to wear the Green and Red would be well advised to pay great attention. Thanks very much Lee and also Mike.
https://twitter.com/MayoGAA/status/1613885157911453701?t=R5wV_N-ol91A5IdYuc9MNg&s=19
Mayo team named!
https://twitter.com/MayoGAA/status/1613885157911453701?t=R5wV_N-ol91A5IdYuc9MNg&s=19
Has anyone got the subs bench list I wonder
Still persisting with forwards that can’t score. Jesus Wept.
@facetheball .. it may be last chance to put their hands up for some of the forwards …
No huge issue with the team .. its really a challenge match that I expect both teams to run the bench.
Hopefully we will have Ryan , the 2 O Connors , Tommy Conroy , Aiden etc in the forwards for the league. I’m more interested in seeing how the backs do .
@Facetheball they are probably saving players for the league and prevent them doing too many matches and to give other players a chance!
Galways team only 4 of the guys who were kn all Ireland playing so clearly they are doing ghe same!
Agree @My Ball
Look at the Galway bench tho… They will come on to try to close it out. Hopefully we’ll have a few options to counter…
I loved Lee Keegan and e joyed the fun and hope he brount to the game. He has a great attitude and is a great inspiration. But I think it is unfair to think he is a one off and we have no other players if that calibre. I find Rod always gives his best and never gives up. He has saved us many a day and seems to have no fear. There are many other developing players like him, that I think Mayo are in a great place for the future. How a team plays depends on how management let them play. So please away with the negativity and give this new group a chance and stop going on about forwards. We do have them, just wait.
Enjoyed the interview. One thing that really struck me that Lee said was “not to overthink it “. It’s something I’ve been thinking about for the last 15 years. I often think why we lose finals is because when we get there, do we overthink the game. Lee’s attitude is, just go out and play it.
Yes Nephin, that was fascinating.
But I think it’s the character of each individual that counts here. I’m sure most players constantly tell themselves ‘don’t overthink it’!! I’m sure managers are telling them this too. But it’s akin to telling an angry person to ‘calm down’! Never works. I’m guessing you never know what state you’re in until the first whistle goes.
Like the way Lee describes being a bag of nerves in the warmup 5 mins prior to the ’21 final, then the match starts and he’s as calm as can be, with an “internal smile”. This cannot be manufactured or prepared for. Maybe hypnotherapy?!
I don’t know, maybe it can be improved on. I’d like to hear a sports psychologist discuss it, i.e. How to regulate your emotions in sport under the most immense pressure.
Lee would be the wrong person to advise on this because he has always felt that calm on the big day when the whistle is heard. So there’s no overcoming of adversity for him in that respect. It comes as natural to him as breathing.
The person to ask would be the anxious type who eventually turned it around. What changed, what steps etc did they take….
Liberal role.
Perhaps you’re right, I certainly don’t know but I think having Niamh Fitzpatrick there again is a huge positive. Think she was there in 16/17 for some of our best performances.
If mcstay picked the best forwards on the panel i’m sure we’d be hearing complaints about playing the best in a meaningless game and not giving others a chance to prove themselves. Hard to win.
Mayo can try try and try again..but it’s too late for them.
Much as I’ve admired them down the years,,the one team to look out for this year is the up and coming Down team from the mighty Mournes
Good man Artie … your probably right !!
Lee Keegan
The making of a legend.
Tomorrow is Mister Lee Keegan day in the United States and I wanted to take a minute to honor the great man.
I suspect that like many ,a couple of years ago I thought Lee Keegan was done.The switch to corner back suggested (to the uninitiated)that maybe Father Time and Mother Nature had a chat and this was a way of putting Lee out to a more pastoral setting while being respectful of his glory days.
He didn’t look great in the league in that position and then came the shellacking at the hands of King Con. It was sad to see a former great being indecently taken to the cleaners like that. It was young male lion and Hakuna Matata stuff and in this case the bloody injuries were to reputation and ego.
The chattering classes were full of it. This time Mayo really were finished. Keegan was done! Done I tell ya !
Only Lee ,and James Horan didn’t see it that way.
It turns out that injuries (and specifically an ankle injury)were significant to that performance.
The older lion was injured but not fatally.He would survive to fight another day.
Mind you there was an illegal push involved in one of the goals. But there is no doubt that the Dubs smelled Mayo blood when Keegan -the Dubs eternal nemesis-was momentarily weakened. And being the ruthless operators they were they tore Mayo to shreds in a twelve minute bout of fury. Suffice it to say that maybe Mayo themselves sensed the game was up when their king was wounded like that. And maybe they contributed to that uncharacteristic period of being unable to fight back.
But who would lead the charge upfield to restore a sense of honor and decency only Lee himself who basically willed a goal. There is no other way to put it. And the Dubs could do nothing about it.Injured Lion certainly.Wounded pride certainly. Will to win? Go fuck yourself.
The Dubs admitted as much this week that they feared Keegan. Rightly so. He is still fearsome but has had his fill and wants to move on.
Lee gave Con his comeuppance in the 2021 semi final where he ,the elder lion ,was the majestic force of yore. The young ‘un was taking the lessons from the master. Playing in the full back line. Marking Con O Callaghan.This is the stuff of nightmares but Lee was all teeth and grins.
It was at number 5 that Lee was the greatest who ever played the game at that position. Of that there is no doubt and no amount of medals or indeed the lack of them will ever change that. He has all the individual plaudits.
Every big name opponent snuffed out. Every. Single.One.
7-48 scored in Championship games some games of which were played in the full back line.
Game changing heroics when the fire was at its hottest. Always!
The bigger the game the better.
The bigger they come ,the harder they fall.
Skills,conditioning, focus,determination,will to win,team player,leader,
Even Donncha Walsh was forced to admit that he wasn’t fit to kiss Lee’s boots. At least that was my interpretation of the way he raised his boot to show the ref. That seems true.
If slightly fanciful to attempt a cross sport comparison ,to me Lee was Ali. Muhammad Ali that is.Like all greats he had more than one act,more than one way of fighting,universally feared and loved,always seemingly happy and not too bothered with criticism or praise.Bigger than all that. A lifelong student of his sporting profession,filled with humility(ok maybe Ali wasn’t humble)and the grace to know when he was done, he went out on top (again Ali didn’t achieve that)
Also the eloquence (of which I was largely unaware)which was so beautifully demonstrated in the Finnerty interview.(BTW That was an absolutely gold standard interview-just phenomenal)
Like Ali ,for Lee being beaten was just a lesson to be better.Come back smarter,stronger.
We will miss him playing but I think Lee will still be in our lives as a commentator and analyst and inspirational force.
There was and there is no one else like Lee Keegan.