Chin plans to end dual role

Lee Chin has yet to decide whether he will continue to juggle football and hurling again next season, but the Wexford dual star seemed to suggest yesterday that his days of double-jobbing have come to a close.

This weekend will see the multi-talented sportsman — he has also played soccer for Waterford United and will again for Wexford Bohs this winter — captain his county in their Bord Gáis Energy Hurling U21 All-Ireland semi-final against Antrim in Thurles.

It is just the latest in a long line of commitments stretched out over the course of a long and punishing season which has also seen him line out for the county’s U21 footballers as well as the senior panels in both codes.

Earlier this summer he spoke of his intention to play the two codes for at least one season and possibly even two, but he subsequently admitted to having his head “melted” in choosing between them when there was an overlap of fixtures.

“I haven’t made any decision on it yet,” he said yesterday at the announcement of the inaugural Bord Gáis Energy Team of the Year awards. “I’ve thought about it a small bit. I haven’t dwelled on it too much because I was still involved with U21.

“I’ll take my break at the end of the season and I’ll consider it then. At the moment I haven’t made up my mind so I’m still in touch with the football panel and the hurling and sure in a couple of weeks I’ll make up my mind.

“It makes it very hard on yourself. Not only you, but your managers as well. They have to be able to consider you for a starting position, that’s the reason you’re there. You want to be playing and if you’re only there 50% of the time it puts them under a bit of pressure too.”

Chin found himself traversing the country more than once this year in an attempt to keep everyone happy, although a longstanding knee injury did spare him some awkward decisions on the odd weekend when Aidan O’Brien and Liam Dunne’s panels were both in action.

Nevertheless, such a workload seems to have concentrated the mind.

“I suppose with all the games I am playing I am increasing the chances of getting injuries. Little niggles and knocks are things I had to face this year. At the start of the year I had done the ligaments in my ankle, but that was playing soccer.

“That left me out for January. My knee [injury] was an impact thing, it wasn’t taking off on a run, I fell on it. Maintaining your strengths is one thing but when you get injured…”

For now his focus is on the U21 hurlers, whose defeat of Kilkenny in the Leinster final has offset much of the doom and gloom that has enveloped the code in the county in recent times.

“When you look at it we have our U21 team coming and our minors didn’t do too badly this year again. There are a couple of them involved with the U21s and even one or two involved with the senior. The young lads pushing on, that is what Clare have been aiming for as well. I am pretty positive about the future for Wexford.

“Hopefully we can get that good spirit around the county again and bit of belief to beat the top teams — the likes of Clare and Limerick. Dublin got to an All-Ireland semi-final this year, we drew with Dublin. It is a good sign for us to be able to compete with these teams.”