All-Ireland winner with Kerry last year Jack Savage has officially left the Kerry camp again, the talented footballer was in Dubai for a few weeks last year and thanks to the exclusive from whatsthecraicdubeye
Since Kerry’s All-Ireland win in July, Savage spent much of the last six months commuting between Dubai and Tralee, helping his club Kerins O’Rahilly’s to county and provincial success before eventually bowing out to Kilmacud Crokes. Savage was instrumental throughout the campaign, scoring seven points in their defeat to Kilmacud Crokes.
But with the club season finished, Savage has returned to Dubai and officially departed Jack O’Connor’s Kerry side. Speaking to What’s The CraicDubEye, Savage said the time was right to try something new, “I’ve had an incredible time over the last number of months, between winning the All Ireland with Kerry and a great run with the club, and those are memories I’ll cherish forever. I’ll be eternally grateful to Kerins O’Rahilly’s for the support they’ve given me while travelling back from Dubai over the last few months. For now, though, I’m keen to experience Dubai fully and live and work in the city.”
Although he may be a long way from Strand Road, Savage won’t be leaving his football boots at home as he travels to Qatar on Saturday for Round 3 of The Arab-Irish Chamber of Commerce Middle East League. Savage joins former All-Ireland winner Eric Lowndes in a Jumeirah Gaels side, which also features Tipperary legend Peter Acheson. Savage was part of the Jumeirah Gaels side that won round 2 in late November and is keen to make his presence felt over the coming months, “The standard of football out here is incredible, really, with former county stars all over the pitch. It’s nine-a-side on a rugby-length pitch, with some different rules, so it’s a tactical affair but, as you can imagine with the heat, is very taxing on the body!”
While it’s unlikely Savage will be sad to swap a pre-season with the Kingdom for the sandy beaches of Dubai, it does leave Jack O’Connor without many of his stars for the early rounds of the league in particular. David and Paudie Clifford, Paul Murphy, and Shane Ryan will all likely take an extended break following All-Ireland success with their clubs on Sunday, so O’Connor will be diving deep into his squad to find some new talent to take their places.
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