He played with Kieran McGeeney and against Peter Canavan, ran up against the likes of Colm Cooper, Maurice Fitzgerald and Trevor Giles too, but Dessie Farrell hasn't seen anything like David Clifford.
Even in All-Ireland final week, when opposition managers gladly big up the opposition, there's a ring of authenticity about the Dublin manager's stamp of approval.
Asked if the reigning Footballer of the Year - Clifford is also favourite to win this year's award - is among the greatest he's seen, Farrell agreed and took the baton on a step further.
"He's probably the greatest I've ever seen," said Farrell, joking about how he tells his kids that Clifford reminds him of himself.
Even better than Canavan, for example?
"It's difficult because he can do things nobody else can," reasoned Farrell of Clifford.
"He's a physical specimen and he has a skillset that belies that.
"He's just so unique and he's such a leader for them as well. He makes them tick.
"We're under no illusions how difficult that's going to be. It could keep you up late at night, for sure. I think the challenge for us is to accept that he's in such a rich vein of form, he's going to do damage. He's going to have an impact on the game.
"We've just got to accept that. It's trying to minimise the impact and trying to not get over-fixated on him. Because if you do that, if you turn the tap off here, it opens the floodgates somewhere else.
- Stevie McDonnell asks: 'What would the hypothetical transfer fee be for David Clifford?'
"They have some other really good forwards and some backs who are also comfortable in attack, so they can hit you from all different angles. They've loads of threats.
"So I think it's just about us getting a balance right, trying to manage him but also keeping an eye on the overall plan so that we're not overly impacted by a concentration of focus on him."
With Clifford on song in attack, Kerry are slight favourites to beat Dublin in Sunday's decider and to retain the All-Ireland title. Dublin have beaten Kerry in three finals in the last 12 years and haven't lost a final since 1994, when Farrell himself lined out in the defeat to Down.
Farrell also guided Dublin to the 2020 title, at Mayo's expense, though the last two years have brought semi-final losses to Mayo and Kerry respectively.
Farrell admitted those defeats resulted in plenty of reflection and hard questioning.
"It dips into the area of, 'Are we good enough? Am I good enough?" he admitted. "Self-confidence, self-belief, self-doubt is definitely part and parcel of the narrative in any competitor's head. Our players are no different. Managers and coaches are no different as well. It's a time for deep reflection. But ultimately you have to back yourself, throw your whole self into it, rise and go again. Thankfully we've been able to do that this season."
Farrell admitted that the National League campaign was about 'getting the balance right between getting promoted out of Division 2 without expending too much energy....and being at it at the business end of the season when it matters most'.
Considering how the Leinster champions have grown into the Championship, finishing off the All-Ireland group stage with a thumping of Sligo before hammering Mayo and then seeing off Monaghan, they appear to have timed it well.
With Sunday's final against Kerry in mind, Farrell is reminded that when Dublin beat Kerry in the 2011 final, kickstarting their era of glory, he was personally crestfallen as the Dublin minor manager who presided over a shock final loss to Tipperary that day.
That night, at the Dublin banquet, attended by both minor and senior groups, Farrell recalled another difficult moment amid the general celebrations which he can now smile about.
"One of the lads who was part of our backroom team, he was an older man, he was a little bit deaf," recalled Farrell.
"There was a table for the coaches and the management teams. But there was so much noise in the room that night, it was hard to hear the conversations over and back.
"Eventually, for some reason, there was a lull. Somebody was waiting to speak up but our man at the top of his voice just roared, 'Nobody gives a f*** about the minors!' Everyone looked around and said, 'Look at those lads having a little pity party for themselves'."
