Ryan’s road to recovery

It’s been a tough two years for Tipperary’s Gearóid Ryan, two years when he should have been coming into his hurling prime alongside U21 and senior All-Ireland-winning teammates of 2010 such as Padraic and Brendan Maher, Noel McGrath.

Instead it has been two years in which he has suffered setback after injury setback.

Now however he’s back, ready to play his part in tomorrow’s Allianz Hurling League final in Thurles against Kilkenny, his problems finally behind him. And those problems?

Ryan explains. “I had fierce trouble with my groin the last two years but it came to a head the end of last year, something had to be done. I can remember the day I first realised something was wrong, it was the league semi-final in Thurles of 2012. I didn’t make much of it at the time, you’re always picking up knocks here and there but as time went on, it got worse and worse. Last year I got back early, felt fine, but as the training got more intense I just broke down again. I gave most of last year just getting myself right for the club games, I wasn’t up to the level required for in here (Semple Stadium, Tipp training). I got through the year with the club, then went down to the Whitfield Clinic in Waterford in November to get it sorted, to Dr Pat Carton — he said it was a problem with my hips.”

And there it was, a problem within a problem. Lots of GAA players have been suffering groin complaints in recent years but not everyone was getting that diagnosis, a diagnosis Ryan reckons has put his career back on track.

“He thought it was something I had all the time but all the training, the wear and tear, it eventually came to a head. The way it was put to me, I could have got my groin done last Christmas but it would have solved the problem for only a short time, the hips would have needed to be done again. That was his (Carton’s) take on it and I went with his advice. I had double hip surgery last November/December, two operations. I got the left one done first, the right one two weeks later. It was keyhole surgery — wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be — coming up to these things you’d be worried, the toll it might take, but I have to say the service down there was top class. I’ve been back for a few check-ups since, got the all-clear and now it is full steam ahead.”

It wasn’t that simple of course — a couple of operations, then off you go, back in the saddle. No sir. First, there was the rehab, the dreaded rehab, but even then, Gearóid’s troubles weren’t over.

“Three months rehab and it was tough going. I got back playing with the club but in my first game I broke my thumb, another few weeks out. I suppose in one sense, it mightn’t have been too bad, gave me a few extra weeks to recover rather than being rushed back. Feeling fit now, rearing to go and so far, so good. I’ve had six weeks of intense training and everything is going alright — fingers crossed. The injuries seem to be behind me, hopefully I can push on from here, get back to where I was a few years ago.”

Tough as it was suffering the injuries themselves, dealing with the physical side of things (the delay before diagnosis, the operations, the rehab), adding to the frustration was the mental pressure, the fear that maybe you were being left behind. “You could start doubting yourself, seeing lads pushing on and wondering if you’ll be still up to it.”

Of huge comfort to Ryanthen was the faith shown in him by new manager Eamon O’Shea and his fellow selectors, faith that he repaid with an impressive display when given an opportunity in Tipp’s semi-final win against Clare. “I’m just delighted that Eamon and the boys had faith in me to give me 20 minutes. They’ve been top class as well even since the surgery, encouraging me, letting me know there was light at the end of the tunnel.”

Well, he has emerged from that tunnel, has Gearóid Ryan, into the blinding light of a league final, to be followed in just a few weeks by the start of the Munster championship. Good timing? Couldn’t be better for the Templederry flyer. Nor for Tipperary.