‘In the back of my mind I know my body is not there anymore’ – Kilkenny legend calls time on glittering career with club and county
Kilkenny legend Michael Fennelly has finally called time on his glittering hurling career with club and county.
The 35-year-old won no fewer than eight All-Ireland SHC medals with the Cats as well as five All-Ireland club titles with the Ballyhale Shamrocks.
However Fennelly, who has been plauged by injuries in recent months, said he does not feel physically able to play on any longer and that he felt now is the right time to hang up his boots.
He told the Irish Independent: “It’s been in the back of my mind since the club final and then the whole Covid-19 thing happened too and gyms closed and there’s going to be no games for a while and that probably had a small bearing on it too.
“But in the back of my mind I know my body is not there and able anymore, I’m not physically able and I’ve been getting by the last two years just about training week on week; it’s been a bit of a burden and a struggle to a certain degree too.
“I wasn’t enjoying it as much as I would have and every training session was taking it out of me. I was just managing myself and trying to get through it. It would be very hard to go another year to try and get through it again.
“There’s more things wrong with me at the moment if I was to go back playing at that level so I just don’t want to be ending my career on an injury. I was always conscious of that. The time is right now to step away,” the former Hurler of the Year said.
