GAA Digest: Tough choice for Henry Shefflin - Kilkenny Cats on cloud nine after All-Ireland hurling win

King Henry Shefflin, Kilkenny boss Brian Cody's praise and Galway struggles

King Henry

HENRY Shefflin was crowned the king of Croke Park on Sunday as the hurling legend made it nine All-Ireland wins in a star studded career.

Sub Noel Hickey also joined Kilkenny old boy Noel Skehan as a nine time MacCarthy Cup winner after Sunday’s big win over Galway.

But only Shefflin has started all nine All-Ireland finals, a unique achievement for a man now set on winning a tenth and setting a new record all on his own next year.

King Henry said after scoring nine points in the win, “At this stage in my career you always review and evaluate. But I’d love to be back again and hopefully the body will let me come back again. It’s an absolutely amazing feeling.

“I think it’s very simple. It’s because of the feeling I have now, and the feeling I had at the final whistle. That’s what drives you on. I have been very fortunate and very privileged in my career to have so many of those days.

“I’ve had one or two bad days as well so I know the difference between good and bad days.

“I love playing the game, I love training and I love being involved with such a great team of fellas. That drives me on as well.”

Shefflin, injury free after two cruciate knee operations in recent years, will now enjoy a well-earned break before returning to action with his club.

He added, “I just want to be able to sit down this winter and not have an operation to look forward to.
“Last year was a very sweet victory because there were major concerns over whether I would ever get back here again.

“But I think this one just encapsulates my whole career more than anything else and I definitely having to say this is one of the sweetest.”

History was always going to be a factor in the build-up to the replay for Shefflin as he conceded on Sunday.

The Ballyhale Shamrocks man said, “People were looking to talk to me about it and, to be fair, they were saying they’d love to see me win it and I decided I was going to say, ‘Yeah, I’d love to win it.

“There is no point in me hiding from that because it was a great motivation for me. Why would you hide from something so special like that?”

Shefflin was also quick to praise his team-mates after Kilkenny’s emphatic win.

He stressed, “I’ve played with great players before and great players now and without those team mates I would not have any medals in my pocket.

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Nster.com