He couldn’t even blame it on a lack of fitness.
You’re the Balyhale Shamrocks intermediate football manager preparing for a match in January and an 11-time All-Star walks through the gate with gear bag in hand, you’re not going to be worried about the code.
And so it was Henry Shefflin found himself playing midfield in his first game of football in 14 years. His own immediate assessment of the game was brutally honest.
1st football game in 14 yrs @BallyhaleGAA and the team talk advice from manager "no one is allowed solo the ball" 😀😀😀⚽️⚽️⚽️#hewasright
— Henry Shefflin (@ShefflinHenry) January 30, 2016
Speaking to the lads from Second Captains in New York this week, the 10-time All-Ireland winner expanded on his return to the Colosseum of Kilkenny football.
“It was junior football, in Kilkenny… I’ll let you decide [about the standard],” said Shefflin, who admitted the pace of the game was not beyond him, despite having retired from intercounty hurling almost a year earlier.
This fella making his first start for the team in 14 years @kclr96fm pic.twitter.com/Dp9mXhLfvu
— Shamrocks (@BallyhaleGAA) January 30, 2016
“It was January so the lads were not in good shape. They were after having a good Christmas,” he said.
“I was the oldest player on the field but I was probably the fittest player we had, so they played me midfield.
“One or two lads, me included, tried to solo the ball, but as people might know the weather at home has not been too good.”
And his manager’s advice on the perils of soloing?
“The ball was very greasy.”
Finally Henry, did you boss it like you did countless huge hurling matches in Thurles, Nowlan Park and Croke Park? In a word, no. Shamrocks lost 2-9 to 1-6 in Graiguenamanagh.
“My man played a lot better than me so he would have been delighted.”
We always say Junior football is for young lads and old fellas. Well now junior (and intermediate, in special cases) is for young lads, old fellas and living legends.
The more the merrier.
