Match-winner Kieran Donaghy said he felt privileged to be "part of the Kerry thing" after their 37th All-Ireland Football Championship victory on Sunday in Croke Park.
The Kingdom ground out a three-point win as Donaghy’s goal, profiting from a mistake from Donegal goalkeeper Paul Durcan, emerged as the crucial score.
Donaghy watched the Sam Maguire Cup being lift by Fionn Fitzgerald and Kieran O’Leary as he admitted to RTÉ Sport that it was a dream moment for him.
"I'm still overwhelmed, I'll be honest about it. I'm blessed and privileged that I am a part of the Kerry thing. That's 37 All-Irelands now and we're going to have more. I'm just a part of the line," he said.
"I'm minding this number 14 and some other fella could have it next year. I'll be up there on the terraces for the next 30 years looking down on other guys wearing it. I'm just blessed and privileged that I got to wear it.
"I'm an emotional guy, I wear my heart on my sleeve and I don't lie about it. I take things bad when they are going bad but I take the good things when they come.
"I'm only an old codger hanging around, young fellas drove it home for us today."
Donaghy thanked his wife Hilary for supporting him at a time he was struggling to see a road back into re-claiming a starting position in the Kerry team following a lay-off with a dislocated shoulder.
"I'm minding this number 14 and some other fella could have it next year. I'll be up there on the terraces for the next 30 years looking down on other guys wearing it" - Kieran Donaghy
"It's a massive performance. It's unreal. To be honest it was a tough year for me. I didn't think I'd get back here.
"But I just persevered and stuck with it. My missus kept me going. She kept making me juices every morning and telling me to stay with it and I'd make it back.
"Huge credit has to go to her for keeping my spirits up when things were hard. It's a massive win for Kerry and to see the minors win as well is excellent."
The composed finish gave goalkeeper Durcan little chance and Donaghy revealed that advice from injured forward Colm Cooper helped him decide how to shoot for goal.
"I ran into that Hill 16 end against Cork in 2007 for the two in-a-row and there was no goalie. This time I got a ball and I was still surprised that I got. But there was a goalie.
"Gooch has been telling me all year, 'Star, when you get in, pass it into the net'.
"Normally I'm a man than rockets them or just throws my boot at it.
"I tried to pass that one for Gooch. He wasn't on the field today. But he has been on to me all year about that so maybe that goal is thanks to him."
