No regrets for relaxed Henry Shefflin

The man can take himself out of the fight but can he ever take the fight out of himself? 

Today marks five weeks since Henry Shefflin called it quits on Kilkenny but in between interviews at the Cúl Camps launch in Croke Park yesterday, he took time to stretch his left knee.

He has Ballyhale Shamrocks to consider now, although he’s been told to relax for the time being. As long as he’s right for their second round championship clash with Danesfort on May 10, that’s all managers Andy Moloney and Colm Bonnar are worried about.

After all the hoopla that surrounded his farewell announcement in Langton’s Hotel last month, he suffered no comedown, he says. Keeping himself busy has helped. He’s already gone ahead and completed the first rite of passage as a recently-retired player and booked a summer holiday for wife Deirdre, himself and their three children.

As he promised, he didn’t attend the final Division 1A game between Kilkenny and Clare in Nowlan Park. It would have been a case of too much, too soon. He didn’t want to be a distraction either. Nor did he make an appearance at the relegation final.

For similar reasons.

But there are always reminders of what he’s left behind him. “One evening last week I was out with the dog actually, walking my road and TJ Reid lives on the same road. Next thing I met him and he was heading in training. At that stage it kind of hits you. You’re so used to doing it.”

Pangs of regret? No, not yet. Maybe when Kilkenny’s Leinster semi-final comes around. “Every so often we’d mention it at home and the conversation was ‘you were right to go, it was the right time’. That honestly has popped up in conversation every so often. It was the right time.”

He’s already been drafted in as a mentor to his daughter’s u6 team having mentioned he might get involved with Ballyhale’s academy. “I said that one in jest at the media conference. It sounded good. But I actually went down about two weeks after that, it was the first week for the u6s. I ended up getting a job. Tom Walsh is the manager now; I’m just helping out. I’ve had two sessions under my belt.”

Especially now as he enters the punditry realm, Shefflin will have to get used to referring Kilkenny as “they”. He passed his first test yesterday with flying colours when talking about their championship prospects.

“They’re champions so they are still the team to beat. It’ll be very interesting to see what way it goes. Getting to a Leinster final will be very important this year for Kilkenny. “I would have always said it in the sense that to avoid the qualifiers and go down that route and if you’re in a provincial final you’re in a quarter-final so it’s only on extra game.

“They are the team, to be honest - I’m gonna say that anyway! But there is definitely an opportunity. They are a team in transition and the expectation level is not as strong as it was in other years,.”

Brian Cody has his own mind and selectors but Shefflin can vouch for Joey Holden as Kilkenny continue to assess their full-back options in the wake of JJ Delaney’s retirement.

“Joey as we say has ‘good stuff’ in him in the sense he’s a good lad and he applies himself very well. He’s a good head on his shoulders. I think to be full-back you’ve to have a good head on your shoulders. A bit of know-how about what’s going on around.

“When Noel Hickey left it they said ‘who is going to fill his shoes?’ It took JJ a bit of time to get used to it. Now that JJ’s gone it’s ‘who’s gonna fill it?’ It’s natural but I think if someone is given the opportunity and given the bit of time he can grow into that role and Joey is someone who definitely fits that bill.”

As for Sunday’s Division 1 final, he has a liking for Cork over Waterford in their first of two meetings in five weeks. “You’d be a bit wary that they’re both playing in the championship and I just hate that. “From a player’s point of view, I think it’s difficult. You have to block that out and just try go and win this. There’s only two national titles up for grabs this year and this is one of them.

“I’ve a slight fancy for Cork, they had a good second half against Dublin. Waterford are playing a different game plan that not many people saw because it was in 1B. Now we’ve seen it against Galway and Tipperary. It’s amazing when you come into profile and people see you and know more about these players, the other players are copping on and are more focused.”