Tompkins: Shefflin had no chance

CORK football legend Larry Tompkins believes it was impossible for Henry Shefflin to feature at inter-county level so soon after suffering a cruciate ligament injury in last month’s All-Ireland semi-final against Cork.

Tompkins tore the cruciate ligament in both his knees during his inter-county career, but after playing through the pain barrier himself in the 1990 All-Ireland final, he can understand why Kilkenny wereprepared to gamble on Shefflin’s fitness in last Sunday’s All-Ireland decider.

“If you have any damage in your cruciate ligament it is impossible to try and play at this level. You might survive at club level with your experience carrying you through slower proceedings but when you are playing in an All-Ireland final you have to be 100%. You can try and build it up through training and survive itrunning in straight lines. I remember the times I went to England for rehabilitation after my surgery and met Alan Shearer who had a similar problem at the time.

“He basically just tore his cruciate a small bit, and they tried to get him back the same way. He was playing for three or four months going on for 20 minutes and then coming off. Eventually he had to have the operation. That is where I would probably see Henry at the moment.

“But everyone is wise after the event. At the time you are probably feeling your going for five in-a-row and asking is it going to be a plus for you to have him there? You would probably say yes.

“I played on in 1990 when I did my cruciate underneath the old Hogan Stand at the time. The Lord have Mercy, Mick McCarthy had gone down just before that. Dr Con Murphy came on and whipped him off. So when I went down it was just in my head: ‘Get up off the ground quick. I suppose when you are powered up, you survive the game. But if I was to try and start with a torn one there would be no way possible to do it. Not at this level.”