Derry challenge just what Kerry need - Éamonn Fitzmaurice

Éamonn Fitzmaurice believes that Derry are exactly the team that Kerry would have hoped to have drawn in the All-Ireland quarter-final and that the game represents a huge step-up in challenge for the Kingdom.

The match will be the first time Jack O’Connor and Mickey Harte have met at Croke Park since the 2005 All-Ireland final when Tyrone secured their second Sam Maguire at the expense of Kerry.

Kerry and Derry clashed in last year’s semi-final at Croke Park, with the Kingdom running out narrow winners in a tight game – 1-17 to 1-15.

O'Connor's men went into that encounter as heavy favourites but Derry were 1-11 to 1-08 ahead at half-time and were two points up with just minutes to go, before David Clifford led the Kingdom to a late surge to get them over the line.

Reacting to the draw on the RTÉ GAA Podcast, Fitzmaurice admits that he expects another tight encounter.

"From the Kerry perspective and from the couple of messages and things I got this morning, people are very wary," he said.

"This time last year before the All-Ireland semi-final I felt almost like I was beating a lone drum within Kerry and there was a lot of people that just felt it was a matter of form and that Kerry were going to handle Derry no bother.

We need your consent to load this YouTube content We use YouTube to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preferences

"As we saw on the day, it was one of the best games of the year, and Kerry, led by David Clifford in the last quarter, just had that bit of know how to get it over the line.

"To be fair to Derry, they've improved. They had improved until things went wrong earlier in the