Ask any goalkeeper what's key to his game and the answer is likely to be confidence. A run of good saves, a sound defence and a team that is winning helps keep that confidence on a high.

All of which explains why Declan O'Keeffe right now sounds like a very confident goalkeeper.

Kerry may face one of the most feared attacks in the country when they take on Meath in Sunday's semi-final, but the man between the posts can hardly wait, almost restless with the excitement of another day out in Croke Park.

"Well it's not just the challenge of playing Meath," he says. "It's the challenge of an All-Ireland semi-final. We had to overcome Cork and Dublin to get there and they were very tough games.

"Obviously, Meath have got a reputation as hard to beat but we've built up quite a reputation ourselves. We know the challenge but we're not afraid of them.

"We're unbeaten now in the championship since 1999, and we've no inferiority complex about going up to Croke Park to play big teams."

O'Keeffe is known as one of the more free talking players on the current Kerry panel, not afraid to reveal his true feelings on what went right and what went wrong. And dangerous as it may sound, he's not afraid either to reveal his growing collection of superstitions.

"Of course, confidence is a big factor for me. But you also have those little habits that went well one day so you might use them again.

"I would be superstitious in that way, but I know from playing through the years that every game and every year stands on its own.

"But there are things I always do like wearing two pairs of socks, and I always have since I was about 12 because early on my boots were too big. Although I wouldn't have lucky gloves or anything like that."

More recently, O'Keeffe has started to collect certain items in the bag he brings out behind the goal. It started with a miraculous medal, but along with the bottles of water, he's started to carry a golf ball.

"I remember well the first day back training this year, and I was about a stone overweight from all the holidays and Dubai trips and things like that. We were doing a four or five-mile run in Banna and I found this golf ball on the ground. It was around the third mile then and I was walking because I was so wrecked.

"So I just picked it and took it with me for the year to remember how bad I felt on the first day. That's inside in the bag now, and goes everywhere with me. I'd be good friends with say Eamon Fitzmaurice and he'd look in the bag as well to see if the golf ball was still there.

"Even though I would be superstitious like that, the years have taught me as well that it doesn't always work, and that every day will always stand out on its own."

Good form helps keep those superstitions in the back of his mind. Dublin forced the best out of Kerry and the best out of O'Keeffe, keeping him busy in both afternoons in Thurles.

"Well, I was disappointed with my first game, but I think we showed some bottle the second day, especially after we went a man down. But I've said it before that a goalkeeper can go from hero to zero quicker than most.

"I've been at zero before but I don't want to be a hero until that Sunday in September. People do forget the saves you make, believe me."

With so few championship meetings in the history of Kerry and Meath, there is little to call between the two sides, but O'Keeffe sees comparison as a dangerous game.

"We would hope we are even better prepared than last year, but we just work very hard at our game and try to play the brand of football that we are comfortable with no matter who we are playing.

"And things will happen one day that never happened before and you just have to be prepared for that mentally. I might get nothing to do except the kick outs and then I might be beaten by three goals.

"Or I mightn't get a touch of the ball in general play or a couple of balls might come at the right height, and that would be great."