Richie Hogan’s playing days are done but the Kilkenny legend would love to pick up the ash and get back out onto the pitch. The former hurler hung up his boots last September after a trophy-laden inter-county career that began back in 2008. In total, the Danesfort man secured seven All-Ireland titles but recurring injury problems severely held him back in the latter end of his playing days.
The Cats are once again through to a Leinster decider where they will face Dublin in a week’s time. Although Hogan has been out of the picture for nearly a year, the 2014 Hurler of the Year still has a burning desire to be part of the action. ‘I would love to be playing, Jesus, I would love to be playing but when I think about playing, I’m actually looking backwards, not thinking at what’s going on now,’ the 35-year-old said at the launch of the GAA Minor Championships.
‘I had a couple of years where I was doing absolutely everything I could to play, everything I possibly could, and I ran out of juice a couple of years ago...
still tried to get as much as I possibly could out of it. ‘If I had packed it in at 32 when the body was breaking down I would have missed it a hell of a lot more. ‘But I’m fairly content that I couldn’t play inter-county hurling, [or] even at club level.
I train, it’s enough for club level. That’s what I look at, we would all love to out playing on the pitch but I’m mature enough to know what it takes and I don’t have what it takes, that.
