When John came to Leitrim, PJ Carroll had done a fair amount of ground work and we were on a good roll. But there was tremendous excitement at the prospect of someone of his pedigree coming to take us on because we knew he wouldn't have come anywhere near us unless he believed we could win.

From the outset, he communicated that belief. The determination and energy he showed in willing us on was something else. He was a perfectionist, everything was planned out. Training schedules would be known months in advance and he always tried to stay one step ahead of standard managerial methods.

In 1994, what happened in Leitrim became hugely emotional for everyone involved and although John did his best to retain a degree of reserve, I don't think he would disagree that he became caught up in the moment as well.

What struck me about him then was that he relished the whole under-dog thing, would constantly hammer home to us that people saw us as just a fairy story, that we were getting no real respect. He managed to blend this hugely passionate nature with a very calm and cool exterior, particularly on the sideline. In the build-up to big games, he would scrutinise each player, analyse individual moods, and do his best to ensure that everyone was content in their preparation. I'm sure he is doing that with the Galway lads as we speak.

Sometimes, as a group, he would throw something at us out of the blue, something new in training, to see how we'd react.

I think it was a disgrace that we didn't retain our Connacht title a year later. But we tried and it just didn't happen. One thing John O'Mahoney always instilled in us was the notion of winning or losing together. The management and players got criticism after that game - we had around 70 per cent of the possession against Galway - but we just took it as a unit. It was a missed opportunity.

His departure was sad. One thing I will say about John is that he is an incredibly stubborn, hard man when he wants to be. He won't give an inch on a point. But I can tell you, John's relationship with everyone on that Leitrim panel - particularly with those lads from 1994 - is very special. I will be on the phone to wish him luck beforehand. We still talk fairly regularly. 1994 has created a bond that won't be broken.

As far as I'm concerned, he is a friend for life. I really hope for his own sake he gets the reward he has been craving for so long on Sunday. He just lives for football. Even talking to his wife Geraldine, it becomes clear what the game means to him. That said, it has been good to him. His record in Connacht is fantastic. A win on Sunday would be the icing on the cake. It would be nice for Kildare to cap an unforgettable year with an All-Ireland but, naturally, I will be hoping the day ends joyfully for John.

(In an interview with Keith Duggan)