Kieran Donaghy says the recent appointment of Maurice Fitzgerald to Kerry's backroom team could convince him to extend his inter-county career for another season.

The 33-year-old has still to indicate to manager Eamonn Fitzmaurice whether or not he'll be returning to the green and gold in 2017, but says Fitzgerald's introduction to the Kingdom's set-up could tempt him to give it another year.

"That'll certainly come into the consideration of everything," Donaghy told the Irish Examiner. "It would be great to be in a dressing room with him. As much as I know him and came across him over the years, and looked up to him hugely, he was my hero, but with all that, I've never actually been in the same dressing room.

"I've heard him do one or two talks before, and I've been very impressed with the way he speaks. I've no doubt he'll bring an awful lot to Kerry football and, whether I'm here or not, will help the forwards and help guys really, in general, all over the pitch.

"Everybody thinks he's this kind of quiet, kind of reserved guy, but he's actually quite funny, quite engaging and very intelligent. He is probably one of the best football brains to ever put on the Kerry jersey. The forwards have no excuse now anyway; Liam Hassett, Mikey Sheehy, and Maurice Fitz (are all in the backroom team). If they're not shooting the lights out, there'll be something wrong."

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