By the time he had reached his mid teens, it was obvious that John McEntee was a born leader. One of the brood of talented youngsters springing up in the Crossmaglen area in the early part of the last decade, there was a reserve and purpose about McEntee that set him apart from his peers. When Joe Kernan assembled one of the most prolific club teams of modern times, he had long labelled McEntee as one who would define the moral backbone of the side.

"When he speaks in the dressing-room, he uses words sparingly and to good effect. He would never be one for the talk to leave the hair standing on the back of your neck. He'd make a room go quiet instead.

"But players listen to him and when he says he is going to do something, it's taken as done. He has that gift for making other players want to follow his lead. He digs deep and others do the same," Kernan explains.

McEntee pops up at pivotal moments in the wonderful story of Crossmaglen's three All-Ireland club titles. In 1997, at the end of a windswept and primal Ulster tussle against Bellaghy, it was McEntee who iced the defining move of the game, breaking free along the wing to curl the winning score from a tight angle. Just 20 then, he was captain of the side.

It was a day when points were rare and a typically brave Crossmaglen win which set them up for the All-Ireland. Two years later, McEntee again stood alone with everything on the line, grabbing a ball at the conclusion of a messy final against Ballina and thumping over the winning point.

"This is the thing about him. When others might be slowing down, John will still be there, working at the same level. All teams go through stages in matches where you sag a little and he is one of those few men that really put it in then. It's just his nature. He always knew he had a loads of talent but he worked as hard as any lad I've seen. He is a manager's dream in many ways - willing, co-operative. Just throw him a ball and let him get on with it."

But it is this year, having established himself in the central berth that McEntee has found his feet at intercounty level. A constant in the Armagh forward lines for last year's Ulster title run, he found it hard to attain the level of involvement he had become accustomed to with his club.

"Last year John started the All-Ireland semi-final against Meath in the corner of the defence. He was moved around a fair bit and I suppose it got a bit frustrating for him. In the middle suits his game, he is at the heart of things.

"Both himself and Tony (McEntee) had been getting a wee bit of stick last year about not being able to cut it with the county but I'm delighted to see that they are showing what they are about now," says Kernan.

It has been a joy for Kernan to watch the on-field relationship between John McEntee and his twin, Tony.

"Personality wise, Tony is that bit more outgoing than John but as players they are very similar. They have a telepathic understanding of one another's game. I've seen them stand 20, 50 yards away from one another and read what the other is intending. `Our boy' is what you'll hear out of one when the other has the ball.

"John only turned 23 the other day and I think that they will be recognised as a truly special force. I could not speak highly enough about them."

Sunday represents perhaps John McEntee's toughest hour in orange to date. Kerry's midfield pairing of Donal Daly and Dara O Se are among the most highly regarded in the country and have flourished at this stage before. If Armagh are to go one step further this year, John McEntee's input will be critical.

"No doubt it is a fine Kerry midfield," says Kernan. "But this is the kind of challenge that brings out the best in John McEntee. He will be putting everything into this."