John Small 'unlikely' to return to Dublin, says Ciarán Kilkenny

Dublin defender John Small is 'unlikely' to play again for Dublin, says Ciarán Kilkenny.

Dublin have lost several experienced players since their All-Ireland defeat to Galway last summer, with Brian Fenton and James McCarthy retiring, with James McCaffrey and Paul Mannion also stepping away.

Dublin manager Dessie Farrell also said Michael Fitzsimons will likely not be involved this year.

With Dublin having played five league games so far and Small yet to be involved, Kilkenny says he does not expect him to return.

"It’s unlikely that John is going to be with us this year.

"He knows he’d be welcome to come in if he wanted, but it’s unlikely he’ll be back this year."

Now one of the most experienced players on the panel, Kilkenny has enjoyed taking on extra responsibilities, as he paid tribute to those who have left, and praised the younger players who have stepped up.

"You miss the players who have retired, unbelievable players, and unbelievable legends of the game.

"For me, it is about giving service for as long as I can to my teammates and to Dublin.

"This is my 14th season, and I get a great buzz and excitement, being a mentor to them, explaining to them what the group is about, give them any wisdom or experience that I can from playing in big games.

"A lot of them have really stepped up to it. They are competing hard, some of them have had really good league campaigns with some really good performances.

"With that, you have other emerging leaders that are in their early to mid-20s as well, and they come out of themselves in a leadership and playing point of view."

As players across the country adapt to the new rules, Kilkenny has praised the affect they have had on the game.

The Dublin forward has scored two-pointers