FORMER Antrim goalkeeper Chris Kerr believes Rory Beggan has eclipsed the gold standard set by Dublin’s legendary goalkeeper Stephen Cluxton following his mesmerising performances for Monaghan and Scotstown this year.
Beggan scooped his first-ever GAA Allstar earlier this month, getting the nod ahead Cluxton, who hasn’t won an Allstar in five years.
Kerr feels that Beggan’s goalkeeping abilities trump Cluxton’s because of the options and athleticism of the Dublin players.
“Beggan is right up there if not better than Cluxton now,” said Kerr, who brought the curtain down on an 11-year career with Antrim last week.
“With the calibre of Dublin’s players it would be very hard not to perform especially the way they move for kick-outs and their athleticism. I’m not taking away from Cluxton – he is the best of all-time because he's done it for so long.
“But you only have to look at Beggan’s frees against Kerry and Galway, and it’s his restarts that are just different gravy.
“Antrim played them in a friendly this year and Beggan was so effortless. One or two steps and the ball is landing 60 or 70 yards away. I was at the Tyrone-Monaghan All-Ireland semi-final and apart from his [ill-fated] effort late on he was flawless.”
Beggan certainly didn’t allow his Allstar gong to go to his head as he was lining out for Scotstown 48 hours later and scoring a point from play against Burren in the Ulster Club series.
Kerr added: “I don’t play golf but it’s literally like a golf swing, and what makes it more impressive is he kicks everything off the ground; he doesn’t use a kicking tee.
“He is so composed, he never seems to get flustered and his ability in the air as well is great. He is just on a different level.
“People only see him kicking the ball about 15 or 16 times in a game but in the weeks building up to a game he’s probably hit 100 of them.
“I think Beggan has revolutionised the game again because a lot of his kick-outs are 50 or 60 yards.”
