TJ Reid: 'At 37, It's great that Derek still has trust and the belief in me'
TJ Reid at Croke Park as Centra announced an extension of their sponsorship of the All-Ireland GAA Hurling Senior Championship for another five years. Picture: Dan Sheridan/Inpho
From what he considers the “longest winter I’ve ever put in”, TJ Reid has emerged for his 19th senior season with Kilkenny.
Last year was the first since 2017 that Ballyhale Shamrocks failed to make the senior county final. The last time the club didn’t make the semi-finals was Reid’s debut season in 2004 when he lined out in goal as a 16-year-old.
Without hurling for so long, even at the age of 37, absence made the heart grow fonder. “It's a lot easier when you're playing,” he said at Centra’s launch of their All-Ireland SHC sponsorship.
“When you stop, you lose your structure because we know we're very into routine and you go train every Tuesday, Friday, Sunday, that's your thing, and then that was gone.
“So it was actually probably the longest winter I ever put in, because when you're playing it's easy. You train and play a match, it's just normal, it's just who you are. So yeah, it was a long winter.”
Reid was never going to make a call about his future in the immediate wake of last July’s All-Ireland semi-final to Clare. “Yeah, I needed to take the time. I must say most players will be annoyed and frustrated and ‘F this’ or what not, ‘F that, this is a waste of a year again.’”
Putting as much distance as possible between that day and informing manager Derek Lyng of his plans was important. “I'm around a long time now and if you let your emotions play over you, well obviously after the game you have no grá to go back at all because that's just the high emotions of losing an All-Ireland semi-final.
“You never make your decisions on emotional feeling. So look, you're straight back into the club and then come November, December you sit down and you reflect on yourself and you reflect on Kilkenny.
“You reflect on your family, you reflect on your business and then you make a decision to go back. Obviously, you meet Derek and what not and you have a chat and you see what lies ahead.
“And obviously for me, look, the number one thing, Derek wants me there. At the end of the day he's the manager and he makes the decision, and it's great that at 37 that Derek has the trust in me and the belief in me. So that's reassuring when you're going back and then you just excel from that.
“And also I think most players are back a little bit earlier than myself, so I have that trust there that I can come back a little bit later in January and what not. It's a little bit easier that way, the demand isn't as high. so it makes it a little bit easier to go back in and enjoy it.” Reid’s faith in himself remains strong. “The main thing is that I suppose you have to have the belief in yourself as well that you can be an impact and I'm still very confident in that department.” It’s coming up on 10 years since his last All-Ireland success when he was also crowned the best hurler in the country. Of that team, only Eoin Murphy and himself are involved now that Cillian Buckley, Conor Fogarty and Walter Walsh have retired.
Looking around the dressing room is unusual for Reid — the likes of Eoghan Lyng and Harry Shine are 17 years younger than him — but he still gleans plenty from a high-performance environment.
“We’ve all known for a long time now that the demands of inter-county players are high and the dedication is high, but I always had that and I enjoy it internally as well. That's the main thing, enjoying the process, enjoying being there with the new management team and all the new current players as well.
“All my group, my friends are after retiring, so this year was strange. Wally, Buckley, Fog, Pádraig Walsh gone two years ago, Richie Hogan gone as well. So look it is a strange place, but again you just have to move on and get on with it.”
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
