Jack O'Connor is to take time out to decide on his future as Kerry football manager.

The Dromid Pearses clubman is also urging some of the Kingdom's more senior players, who may be contemplating retirement, to do likewise in the wake of last Saturday's shock All-Ireland quarter-final defeat to Down.

"We will let it settle for a week or so and maybe have a chat about it and make a decision then," he said.

"Right now would not be a great time to be making those decisions. We put everything into it and our whole lives are geared towards football and at the moment you would not have much of an appetite for it but we will see.

"There shouldn't be any pressure put on fellows because the pleasure that team has given to the Kerry public is unbelievable. Players will have to be given a bit of time, and space because they are hurting at the moment. Now would not be the time for them to make any decisions.

He continued: "I suppose you would have to say sooner or later that the team will have to be re-jigged or revitalised. There were a lot of changes from last year as it was. What people do not realise is that some of those lads are on the road a long time. Mike McCarthy, Tomás Ó Sé, Tommy Griffin and Tom O'Sullivan were on the All-Ireland U21 winning team of '98 and in the '99 team that lost the final.

"When you go back to 2001 and that famous day against Meath and Declan O'Sullivan, Gooch and Kieran Donaghy were playing minor that day so that will tell how long these fellows are on the road. They have ferocious mileage up. There will be a couple of fellows who will reconsider their positions but there certainly won't be anybody to put pressure on them." Tweet

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