Although Ryan made a telling contribution, which included six frees and a wonderful point from play in the 47th minute, to Garryspillane’s six-point win the former Limerick captain feels that now is the right time to bring his playing career to an end.
“Oh, I will definitely miss it there’s no doubt about that,” explained 34-year-old TJ Ryan.
“From my own point of view, being around a long time, it was a decision I made at the start of the season more than after the last game that this was going to be my final shot at it.
“I’m nearly 35 years of age now and I felt the time was right to go. Time moves on, I’m just getting old basically.”
Although a troublesome AC joint injury hastened TJ Ryan’s retirement he was thrilled to depart the club scene with the Bouncers’ senior status secured.
“Yeah, it was important for me and for, I suppose, my own pride more than anything else that I left the team when they were still senior,” he explained on Sunday.
TJ Ryan played on 40 championship occasions for Limerick.
He made his debut against Cork in 1994, won Munster titles in 1994 and 1996, a National Hurling League in 1997 and finally walked away from the inter-county scene in 2006 following the Shannonsider’s one-point loss to Cork in an All-Ireland quarter-final. After 12 long years hurling in Limerick green and far longer playing for Garryspillane there is little doubt that TJ Ryan will remain committed to the game. He won’t walk away: “I’m involved with the 14s in Garryspillane at the moment like so from that point of view there’s no chance of that. I’ve been involved with a team from Garryspillane for every year since 2000 so with my young fella involved now I’ll always be going to Garryspillane matches anyway.”
On the field of play TJ Ryan represented an inspirational figure for Limerick with supporters desperately hoping he might inspire his charges as a manager at some point in the not-too-distant future.
“I don’t know, I don’t know,” TJ Ryan said as he considered the move into management.
“Just because you were handy on the playing pitch doesn’t mean that you would be any good on the sideline.
“You know what I mean, you have to wait and see.
“I suppose it’s something I would definitely look at, but we will just have to see how things go,” he insisted.
As a player of immense versatility, Ryan made his debut at corner-forward, but played in a whole myriad of positions for Limerick and, of course, for his beloved Garryspillane.
He led Limerick to a famous National Hurling League title from centre-back in 1997 and declares the number six jersey as he preferred choice.
And, TJ Ryan was thrilled last week to learn of his nomination at left corner-forward for the Limerick 25-year team.
BRIAN MCDONNELL
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment