Kevin Walsh: The Invisible Game

Before winning everything in the game, Kevin Walsh thought his career was over in 1997. Playing senior football at 13 years of age, and playing for far too many teams on the GAA field and the basketball court, had left his legs and feet severely damaged and his mobility greatly impaired as a young man. At 28, he was told that Galway did not need him anymore. But Kevin Walsh understood the game of football better than anyone around him. He saw The Invisible Game… deep within the game itself! The powerful midfielder decided to play The Invisible Game. His game was centred on maths, minutes and movement… and a brilliant understanding of, amongst other things, what a player can do in the 79 minutes out of every 80 minutes on the field when he does not have the ball in his hands. Kevin Walsh proceeded to win two All-Ireland titles with Galway, and three All Star awards and he ended his career as one of the greatest midfielders of the modern era. He quickly brought his understanding and insight to Sligo and Galway, whom he managed for the next 10 years – overseeing Sligo's most successful seasons in half a century, and leading Galway out of the wilderness for good. The Invisible Game is the story of one man's journey, but it is also much more than that. The Invisible Game offers an insight to the game that can transform the careers of every player, coach and manager in the GAA.