When Colm Cooper fractured his knee and ruptured his cruciate ligament, in February 2014, doctors told him ‘you’re going to have to give us 12 months’. By September, he had won his fourth All-Ireland.
The Dr Crokes forward went down with a serious injury in the All-Ireland Club Championship semi-final.
He was not expected to return to action for a year and admits that, had his setback occurred a decade ago, he would probably, now, be a retired GAA player.
Given kernels of hope by medical staff, Cooper set out on the comeback trail. Miraculously, he made it back to the Kerry bench as they claimed the Sam Maguire by defeating Donegal at Croke Park.
On Sunday, the 32-year-old makes his first start for The Kingdom since 2013.
