James McCarthy leads the way in Sunday Game Team of the Year

The Dubs are back on top and six of their players have been named on The Sunday Game Team of the Year.

Sunday's 1-15 to 1-13 win over Kerry clinched a first All-Ireland title since 2020 and put to bed the disappointment of the previous two years’ semi-final exits.

There are five players from Kerry included, along with three from Ulster champions Derry and one from Monaghan.

Dublin captain James McCarthy, one of three players to win a record ninth All-Ireland medal, was selected as The Sunday Game Footballer of the Year.

Stephen Cluxton (Dublin)

Cluxton returned to the Dublin net for the Leinster semi-final against Kildare and simply picked up where left off. His run of 13 clean sheets was ended in the All-Ireland final but that was the only negative in a near-flawless display by the 41-year-old, who became one of three players to win a record ninth All-Ireland medal.

Conor McCluskey (Derry)

A model of consistency. McCluskey was a defensive rock for Derry but also popped up with some big moments in attack, including a brilliant goal against Monaghan in the Ulster semi-finals.

Mick Fitzsimons (Dublin)

We need your consent to load this comcast-player content We use comcast-player 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

Fitzsimons enjoyed some fierce tussles with the likes of Conor McManus and David Clifford this summer. He stood up to the most difficult of man-marking jobs in the All-Ireland final, shading an enthralling battle with the Kerry captain. That ninth medal is well deserved.

Tom O’Sullivan (Kerry)

O’Sullivan was one of the leading scorers in this year’s