Former underage intercounty star Stefan Okunbor has returned to Kerry following a three-year spell in the AFL.
The news will be welcomed by incoming Kerry manager Jack O’Connor as early preparations for the 2022 season get underway.
Okunbor signed for Geelong in Australia in 2018 after he was involved with hugely successful underage Kerry set-ups in the years prior to his move down under.
The returning Okunbor won an All-Ireland medal in 2016 and was named Munster U20 Player of the Year in 2018 as he stood out in a team managed by O’Connor who himself is about to embark on his third and most recent stint in the Kerry hot seat.
The Na Gaeil clubman played in the VFL for the last three years but an achilles injury and severe lockdown restrictions as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic meant his game time was severely limited in recent times.
The defender made 17 appearances in the VFL from 2018 to 2021 and Geelong’s general manager of football Simon Lloyd was full of praise when speaking about Okunbor in a recent interview.
He said: “Stefan showed great desire and commitment to become a better player.
“He was limited by injury and the lack of games through the shutdown He is now back in Ireland and we hope he can enjoy a successful Gaelic football career.”
