Where does Henry Shefflin rank?

Henry was lucky, so very, very lucky.

He was lucky to be born in Kilkenny.

He was lucky to be born in the parish of Ballyhale.

He was lucky to be born in a place where he could develop his love for hurling, where his love for hurling would be welcomed and nourished. If he was born up the road in Carlow, would he be the household name he is today?

To grab the opportunity he was afforded required talent. He had that in spades. Talent alone, however, often isn’t enough.

There is nothing as common as unsuccessful men with talent. Henry never fell into this bracket. County and parish roots played no role in this regard. Henry was forever working on his game to ensure he never fell into this bracket. He was first on the training field and last off. He trained on Christmas Day. He went above and beyond the call of duty to be the supreme team player. He worked phenomenally hard to stay ahead of the curve. He wanted to be the best. He wanted to perform every time he stepped inside the white lines.

There are plenty of hurlers who won numerous All-Ireland medals, but their on-field contribution nowhere near matched their bulging pockets. Again, this does not apply to Henry. You take the 10 All-Irelands he won, his DNA is smeared across each triumph.

He was a leader on and off the field. One of his greatest attributes was his composure on the ball. His athleticism and his strength too made him at times untouchable.

Throughout his career in the black and amber he was surrounded by superb players. Now, they were excellent players, but who was it bringing them into games, who was it creating the space for them, who was it proving the inch-perfect passes: Henry. They benefited from his unselfishness. DJ Carey electrified the crowd, Henry Shefflin electrified the team.

There was a buzz when DJ was on the ball, this expectation he would do something brilliant. The same applied to Henry, but he never strayed from the team ethos.

We could spend all day throwing flower arrangements at his doorstep, but the ultimate accolade to pay him is to say he is the greatest hurler of all time. Would this be an accurate statement? I didn’t see Christy Ring so I can’t make comparisons between the pair. I wasn’t fortunate to have witnessed Ring or Mackey or the Rackards.

I did see Keher, Carey, Jimmy Doyle, Ray Cummins of Cork and the McCarthy’s. They were fantastic hurlers. Henry, though, had the X-Factor. Definitely, he would be the top of the pile in what I have seen over the last 50 years.

The older generation, particularly those die-hards in Cork and Tipperary, wouldn’t buy into the argument that Henry was the greatest. They would point to Ring and Doyle. Bias and taste is at play here.

Henry stood head and shoulders above every hurler I saw in terms of individual contribution and being a team player. He is my number one. I don’t believe in the modern era his haul of 10 All-Ireland medals will be surpassed.

What we are blessed with is Shefflin’s talents, unlike that of Ring, will be available to future generations through the flick of a button.

What I can also safely say is there wasn’t one game where he didn’t perform, be it either for Kilkenny or Ballyhale. He never shirked responsibility. The game that springs to mind is the 2012 drawn All-Ireland hurling final against Galway. He absolutely brought Kilkenny from their bootlaces up to claim a draw. If Henry wasn’t there, Galway would have won. He took on every hurler in Galway that afternoon and, in doing so, inspired his team-mates. On the field, he rarely made the wrong decision. Again, he has made the correct decision in walking away. He is getting out at the right age, and at the right time.

He leaves another void to fill in the Kilkenny set-up. They’re are quite a few at present.

The Kilkenny production line will continue on as it always has. His void as a leader in the dressing room will be filled. His on-field presence is irreplaceable, however.

The GAA don’t do testimonials. Perhaps, they should make an exception for Henry. He should be honoured for his contribution. After all, this was a man that played each and every game with honour.