Kilkenny legend and 2011 hurler of the year Michael Fennelly has announced his retirement from the game.
The 35-year-old captained his club Ballyhale Shamrocks to All-Ireland success in January and hangs up his boots with eight All-Ireland and five All-Ireland club medals.
"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," the three-time All-Star revealed to Michael Verney in The Irish Independent.
"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."
He'll now focus on his job as manager of the Offaly senior hurling team.
