Bernard Brogan to follow in Stephen Cluxton’s footsteps and captain his country

Bernard Brogan will captain Ireland in this year's International Rules Test against Australia.

The Dubliner succeeds Donegal's Michael Murphy, who captained Ireland for the past two series. Joe Kernan's team will try to regain the Cormac McAnallen trophy in Croke Park on November 21st, when they face-off against the tourists in a one-off Test on the 95th anniversary of Bloody Sunday. Brogan is expected to win his fourth All-Star and is also nominated for Footballer of the Year following an All-Ireland winning season in which he scored a phenomenal 6-20 from play. The 31 year old was honoured by today's announcement.

"It is both an honour and a privilege to not only represent Ireland, but to captain the national team too.  As Gaelic footballers, opportunities to play for Ireland and pit our skills against athletes from other nations and codes are few and far between and next month we will test ourselves against arguably the strongest ever Australian team to come here," said Brogan.

Stephen Cluxton was the last Dublin player to captain the side, in 2011, when Ireland hammered their hosts in Melbourne and then again on the Gold Coast. Kernan paid tribute to Brogan, saying he is following in the footsteps of some great players.

“He has been a top footballer in our game for many years - something borne out by the many accolades he has earned - and he has also shown his prowess in this game.  In addition to helping to generate a vital team spirit amongst our players, he will also lead by example where it matters most - on the field of play."

This will be Brogan's third time representing Ireland.