Ten Questions with Ger Brennan

This week, we put the questions to Dublin's long-serving centre-half-back Ger Brennan. Dublin play Kildare in the Leinster Football Championship semi-final this Sunday at Croke Park.

1. Who was your sporting idol growing up?

Keith Wood in rugby and Dessie Farrell in GAA. I played schools rugby in Belvedere College and I used to love how tough Keith Wood was, and how he used to always lead the charges in the tackles and take the ball on, something which would have inspired my schools rugby days. With Dessie Farrell, I just thought he was so skilful, he was so accurate and great to watch.

2. If you could take a specific skill from a specific player, what would the be the skill and who would be the player?

Stephen Cluxton kicking 45s. It's just natural talent. But he works hard at it too. He doesn't mess around with it, just looks up, kicks it, doesn't waste any time.

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3. Is there any one score you have gotten in your career that stands out above all others?

The first time I scored in the championship for Dublin was against Laois in the 2006 Leinster final. It was a great feeling to score. We were up by loads at the time, but it was still a great feeling to score.

4. Who was your toughest underage opponent in Dublin?

Aidan Relihan from St. Sylvesters, who would have been corner back on the Dublin minor team that I was on. I used to mark Aidan quite a bit, he was very skillful and was always a great challenge for me. I played midfield underage and then ended up centre back with the minor county team.

5. If you could play an All-Ireland in any stadium in the world outside Ireland, where would you choose?

The Nou Camp. It just looks so impressive on television. The size of the stadium is quite awesome and quite awe inspring.

6. Who is your favourite GAA pundit?

There's a writer with the Evening Herald called Dermot Geraghty who I think is very knowledgable about the game. He's very honest and very truthful in his analysis.

7. Do you have any other sporting talents that you might have pursued to a higher level?

I played a good bit of soccer. I played at the premier school boy level and won a good few schoolboy leagues with WFTA FC, Finglas. I played a good bit of rugby in school too. There were times when there was a good bit of conflict between the rugby and the GAA. With soccer, I always instinctively chose Gaelic because I loved it and found it more enjoyable. I might have done something with the soccer, but it was probably more likely with the rugby.

8. What's the hardest skill to master in Gaelic football?

Probably blocking. I think blocking is a skill that we don't see too often, but as a defender when you're looking up the pitch, or when you look back at the full back line and you see a great block being done by your teammate, it's nearly as good as seeing a point scored. That's a skill I'd like to improve on this season and it's something which probably doesn't get as much credit as it should.

9. What's the most intense match you've ever been involved in as a player?

Maybe the 2008 All-Ireland Club final. We played against Nemo Rangers at Croke Park and we beat them by a point, just about. It was quite intense, playing with your clubmates and with so much at stake and so much pressure and expectation on the team. I think it was more the occasion that added to the intensity, rather than the actual contact on the pitch. That's one that stands out at present.

10. What's the best score that an opponent has ever scored in a match you were playing in?

There was one score that Stephen O'Neill got, in the 125th anniversary game against us in 2009, played under lights in Croke Park. Paddy Andrews was marking him so he probably won't like me saying it, but Stephen was over in the far corner, in the corner where the Cusack Stand meets the Canal End. He was about a yard out, on the wrong side for a left footer, and he sidefooted it over. Not a whole lot you can do about a score like that.