Having seen his county beaten in Sunday's All-Ireland football final by Dublin, Tyrone legend Owen Mulligan has been fairly magnanimous in defeat.
Unconvinced that Dublin are beyond catching, Mulligan, speaking in his role as a Paddy Power GAA ambassador and columnist with Paddy Power News, was keen to single out one of their most endearing players.
One of the "nasty bastards" that the All-Ireland winning teams he played in relied on for taking "it to the edge in every single game," Mulligan believes Dublin have such a player in Johnny Cooper.
I’m a massive fan of Johnny Cooper, the Sergio Ramos of Dublin.
He dives as if he’s been shot by a sniper and he fouls cynically in all the right areas.
A multiple All-Ireland winner with Dublin, the Na Fianna man is "a match winner" as far as Mulligan is concerned.
"Cooper controls Dublin’s back line, and if referees need to be challenged he’s the first man up, like butter would melt. Cute whorism comes to mind."
Of the belief that this Tyrone team lack their own Cooper to carry out these dirty deeds, Mulligan is aware how cherished such figures are by their own.
"You can’t teach this, you’re just born with it. The opposition hate him, but he’s a cult hero on Hill 16. Every team needs a Johnny Ramos!"
Speaking on Second Captains earlier this week, Cooper discussed the public perception of him as a player that likes to wreak a little underhanded havoc.
Distancing himself from any such label, Cooper reiterated that although this might have been a feature of his game at one point, he is now more focused on simply playing his own game.
