COLM COOPER Ian O'Riordantalks to Colm Gooch Cooper who has just returned from a four-month flydrive trip to America

FOR THE first four months of this year, just as championship football started to invade the consciousness of every intercounty player worth his name, Colm "Gooch" Cooper was driving around America in a red Ford Mustang Convertible.

He never once thought about kicking a football, not even when someone offered a hundred grand just to witness the renowned skill of Kerry's three-time All-Ireland winner.

He stopped off at fast food drive-ins at every opportunity. "Super size me!" he'd smile. For four months the only skill work he did was bending spoons to the amazement of customers at late-night diners, and performing dazzling rope tricks every time he stopped off at the rodeo. He was constantly asked for ID every time he stepped into a bar, but that didn't stop him quenching his thirst in the good old-fashioned way.

Maybe that's not all true, but it's the picture Cooper presented us with yesterday when recalling his excursion to America earlier this year. This was a self-designed break to put the freshness back into the former footballer of the year, and, so far anyway, it seems to have worked a treat.

Cooper looked and sounded a new young man, not that there was anything wrong with the old one. "The thing is, over the last six or seven years I'd be playing football right up to Christmas, and then starting out again straight away in the new year. My body had never really had a sustained break before.

"So it had been a long few years for me. I'm still only 24, and I suppose involved with Kerry for a long time. It's not that I wasn't enjoying my football, no way. I was enjoying that as much as ever.

"I still felt fresh at the end of last year, but felt if I took the break now I'd be even more energised when I got back, and be ready for what is obviously a big season for Kerry. That was my aim, and I'm hoping we'll see a fresher Colm Cooper for the championship of 2008.

"I knew a few friends in different cities, so just moved around and tried to see as much as I could. And no, I didn't touch a football. It was just pure leisure time. It was something I'd be thinking about for a while. I was getting that bit older, and this was maybe my last chance. It was a good time to go as well."

He started out in January in Phoenix, Arizona, where he swung some tickets for the Super Bowl, and also took in the Golf Classic. After that he headed up to Chicago, then across to Boston and New York, and then down to Florida. Soon nearly all thoughts of Kerry football disappeared.

"I kept in touch with some of the lads at home, sure, to see how they were getting on in league games. But I really tried to switch off, deliberately. And relax, enjoy myself. I knew it was a short enough period. I suppose I did the odd run or two, and went for a swim a few times as well. But it wasn't the priority, no way. I was away to relax. Not to train.

"And I suppose I had mixed emotions about coming back. I mean I wouldn't have minded staying on for another while. The weather was just getting good and that. But then you know the championship season is coming up as well, and I wanted to make sure I was well back for that. If I'd stayed on until May then it would have been a lot harder to get back fit, and get my form back.

"And yeah, it was a bit of shock all right when I got back training. The fitness went a bit, definitely. I felt it the first night back training, but over the last few weeks it has come back. We were away for a week there in Portugal and that helped a lot as well. We got some very good training done out there. That was a big week for the fitness, and everything is on a positive right now.

"I'd say I'm back maybe 80 per cent fit. There was a lot of sweat coming out the first night. I knew that would be the case, but once the fitness starts to come back it's not too bad. But still the championship season doesn't begin for us until June 15th, so we've a couple more weeks there to get more hard work done. And we've the club championship as well, which is another step in the right direction for myself."

And while he ate and drank what he liked in America, he's now firmly back to his old routine. He reportedly gained a stone while away, thereby doubling his weight.

"Well, no maybe half a stone. But sure you only had to see the portions that the Americans eat. You wouldn't be long putting on weight over there. I'd no choice in the matter. But that mightn't have been too bad a thing for me, anyway. And if I turn that into a little more muscle then I'll be okay.

"It was only a few months as well. But it's something I'd recommend for any youngster, whether they're in sport or not. It gives you a different outlook on life, and the way others live, I guess."

While in some ways he wasn't missed and Kerry still progressed to the league final, where they lost to Derry, there's no doubt manager Pat O'Shea is happy to have him back on board. And no one expects Cooper not to get his place back. "Well, I think come June 15th, Pat O'Shea will definitely have a bit of a headache when it comes to picking his first 15. There will be some guys disappointed. But it's worked out well. No one likes losing a national title. We were simply beaten by a better team on the day. It could help us in the long run.

"A lot of people are saying we're the team to beat, but last year Monaghan could have beaten us, Dublin too, so we can only prepare as best we can again. Back-to-back titles hadn't been won in a long time, so I think three-in-a-row is a huge ask.

"Cork as well gave us a huge battle last year in the Munster final, then maybe collapsed a little in the All-Ireland final. They'll have big plans again this year. We just have to guard against complacency in every game."