The subject of Kanye West's latest outburst may not believe in shooting stars but we here at Hogan Stand most certainly do. This month, as part of our ongoing series of features on players we deem most likely to make a major impression in the 2008 championship, Gerry Robinson tracked down Dublin's ace attacker Alan Brogan. Part of a famous GAA family and captain of the Sky Blues in '08, Brogan is one to watch as the Dubs bid for their first All-Ireland in 13 years. I remember watching his dad squaring up to Pat Spillane, Gerry Loftus and that Fermanagh boy Declan Burns on Superstars in the late 'seventies. Dublin midfielder Bernard Brogan was renowned as one of the best footballers in the capital and one of the finest sportsmen in all of Ireland. He also scored the match-winning goal the last time Dublin beat Kerry in the championship, in 1977. Three decades later, his son Alan is captain of Dublin, who this year bid for a fourth consecutive Leinster SFC. Alan has been a revelation since bursting onto the intercounty stage in 2002 and is rightly regarded as one of the most explosive forwards in the game. The 26-year-old possesses all the attributes needed to make a top-class attacker - pace, trickery, skill, strength, confidence, balance, heart, bravery and panache. He's a graceful and elegant footballer, who plays the game in a manner that's extremely pleasing on the eye. His unique array of talents has already reaped a plethora of provincial and national honours. Sam in September would represent the icing on the cake for Alan and his family and the Sky Blue army. You're Dublin captain this year - how great an honour is this and what does it mean to you personally? To captain your county has to be one of the highlights of anybody's career. When I was asked, it didn't take me long to make up my mind! It's a great honour to lead Dublin out onto the pitch and it's a particularly big honour to captain this team and these players. It means a lot to me and to my family. Your Dad Bernard Snr. was a Dublin legend before you and your brother Bernard Jnr. is alongside you on the senior team at the moment. Another brother, Paul, would have featured but for the cruciate ligament injury sustained early in the year. The GAA is obviously a big part of your family life. There's a big GAA tradition there alright, going back to my father and uncle Jim, who played for Dublin in the 'seventies, and also my second cousin Padraig played for Mayo. Obviously, Dad has been a big influence on us. He introduced us to the game and passed his experience onto us. He is always there to talk to, in good times and in difficult times. He has a lot of wisdom to pass on, so we talk about football a lot. We still sit down and talk about football, even now. I know they were different times and the game was different, but there are still the same pressures associated with playing for Dublin. Can you remember going to Croke Park as a young lad to watch him playing? What's the first big match you remember seeing in Croker? He finished in the early '80s and I was born in '82, so I never saw him, but I've watched the videos. The first All-Ireland final I was at was Cork against Mayo in 1989 and I was in the Canal End with Dad. My uncle Jimmy would have been involved with the Dublin 1995 team as a selector and I remember that year well, but I'd been to a good few Dublin matches before that. How big a year is 2008 for Dublin? Having lost successive All-Ireland semi-finals, is this side approaching make-or-break status regarding the Sam Maguire? I don't know if I'd go so far as to say it's make or break, but this bunch is probably close to it's peak now and it would be a good time to deliver. We'll be losing a few influential players over the next two or three years, so there's no time like the present. We have that experience now that you need to go the extra step, so hopefully we'll get there. Why does the All-Ireland keep eluding this Dublin team? It's been 13 years now since the Dubs went all the way and the current side seems good enough to emulate the Class of '95, so where is it going wrong? We have come up against a very good Kerry side, who are very hard to beat on any day. They are a good team and they'll not be beaten easily. You also need a bit of experience and a bit of luck. It's hard to put your finger on it but we'll continue to work hard to make it happen. There's no point worrying about the past. All those games are over now; it's the next one that counts. Some people are suggesting Kerry are shoe-ins for the three-in-a-row and that the All-Ireland is theirs to lose this year. What is the Dublin response to these views? Everyone has an opinion. I don't think Kerry will be buying into that either. Kerry will be as focussed as any year and they will prepare as hard as any team because they know they don't have a divine right to win the All-Ireland. They're intelligent fellas and they won't let talk like that affect them. What's it like playing in front of 80,000 spectators at Croke Park? How difficult is it to focus on the game? How distracting is the noise and the colour and the electric atmosphere? It's a great experience. Hill 16 holds a special place in every Dublin player's heart. There are normally about 60,000 Dublin supporters there when we play and we are lucky in that way. It's always a great occasion and we treasure the supporters dearly. Once the game starts, you forget about the crowd. You don't hear much down there on the pitch, but I've never had any problem concentrating on the game. Are Dublin going to do anything different this year to get themselves across the winning line? Training progresses as science progresses. Our programmes are made out by sports scientists and they are the experts in that area. Football-wise, we're trying to learn from past mistakes and we'll be trying to put our experience to good use. Is the Leinster championship important? Dublin have won the last three, but four on the trot won't mean much if Sam slips through the net again. Winning the Leinster championship is the easiest route to an All-Ireland quarter-final, so that's the path we'll be trying to take. We'll try to win every game . winning Leinster first is the shortest route to winning the All-Ireland. Gaelic football will once more take up most of your summer. It's a huge commitment - what's the hardest aspect of that? And how important is it to set time aside to concentrate on other things? What do you do to wind down? It's very important to take time away from it, but at the same time we are doing this because we love it. You can't lead a normal social life that a normal 24- or 25-year-old lives and relationships can suffer as a result, but most people understand and thankfully my girlfriend is very supportive. To get away from football, I play a lot of golf and I also like to get away as much as I can, either to Spain or down the country for a few days, just for a change of scenery to take my mind off things. Who has been your most difficult opponent so far? Marc O Se. We've had a few run-ins and we've enjoyed a couple of good battles. What advice would you give to any young Dublin lad who dreams of one day pulling on the blue jersey? It's important for young guys to realise that they won't make it unless they're prepared to put in a lot of hard work. Talent is one thing, but without the hard work, you won't do yourself justice. Talent will only get you so far. Then it comes down to how much work you're prepared to put in. Have you found yourself dreaming about what it would be like to lift Sam Maguire in Croke Park in September? Players will say they don't look that far ahead but as a human being, has your mind slipped to that possible scenario? "It's a dream for every footballer and it has crossed my mind but it's important to focus on the task at hand and keep your feet on the ground. Everyone in Dublin dreams of the next All-Ireland but we have a few hurdles to cross before that can happen and we are thinking about June 8 for now. Alan Brogan Fact File Full name: Alan Brogan Date of Birth: 11/1/1982 Height: 5'11" Weight: 12 stone Club: St Oliver Plunketts/Eoghan Ruadh Intercounty championship debut: June 2002 V Wexford Honours: Leinster minor football championship; two Leinster U21s; one All-Ireland U21; four Leinster SFCs; four International Rules appearances; two All Stars Tweet

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