Richie Hogan: ‘I would give my left arm to be able to play again’
After seven All-Ireland titles, 11 Leinster championships, five Allianz Hurling League medals and four All-Stars, Richie Hogan called time on his inter-county career with Kilkenny last summer.
A vital part of a hugely successful side under Brian Cody, injuries eventually caught up with the former Kilkenny forward, who admitted it was the right time to call it a day.
The 2014 player of the year said if he had decided to leave when he was 32 he would be missing it more, but has accepted the time is right.
Speaking at the launch of the Electric Ireland Minor Hurling Championship, Hogan said he wouldn’t have what it takes for inter-county hurling.
“I had a couple of years where I was doing absolutely everything I could to play. I ran out of juice a couple of years ago, but still tried to get as much as I possibly could out of it.
“I’d love to be playing, but when I think about playing, I’m actually looking back, I’m not looking at what is going on now.
“If I had packed it in at 32 when the body was breaking down, I’d have missed it a lot more. For now, I’m fairly content, I couldn’t play inter-county hurling now.
“Even at club level, I train, it is enough for club level. The thoughts of getting to inter-county level, the level these guys are currently at is a million miles from where I am. That is what I look at. We’d all love to be out playing on the pitch.
“I’m mature enough to know what it takes, and I don’t have what it takes, that is for sure.”
Since his retirement, Hogan has been a pundit on GAAGO, and is still playing with his club, Danesfort.
While Hogan says he enjoys his work as a pundit, he is yet to enjoy the game as a fan.
“The only thing that I enjoy much more now is not having to get into the car and travel long distances to go training.
“But I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t give it all up in the morning just for a chance to play again, that’s for sure. It’s been nice and it’s nice to have the body in good shape when you’re waking up in the morning.
“That’s kind of the main thing, to be able to get up in a normal fashion and actually be able to tie your laces having not pushed your body to the limit trying to achieve something. But I’ll get bored of this fairly quickly, and I’ll try and do something else, I think.
“The only games I’ve been at are the ones where I’ve been working, doing commentary, and I like it for what it is. It doesn’t compare or keep me in touch with the games really. Honest to God, I would give my left arm to be able to play again, but I know that I’m not able so I’m very content watching and wishing people well.
“I probably would find it hard to go to the games if I wasn’t doing commentary at them because I do miss it and the longer it goes on the more I miss the actual games, but I try not to think about it and I’ll get over it pretty soon.”
In their first season since 2007 without Hogan, Kilkenny are currently preparing for the Leinster final against Dublin, who he says are the surprise package of the season so far.
After losing the Division One final to Clare, Kilkenny have battled to close victories over Wexford and Dublin, with draws against Carlow and Galway, with the team yet to hit their best form.
For Hogan, he says, given the players Kilkenny have been missing, the team are right where they need to be.
“I think Kilkenny are where they want to be for sure. If you asked Derrick Lyng at the beginning of the season, they would have liked to have won all of their games, and they would have liked to have won them very impressively.
“As it stands, being in a Leinster final, and having a full deck to pick from, and Eoin Cody with another game under his belt, Adrian Mullen to come back, Walter Welsh with half-an-hour of championship action, Richie Reid and Paddy Egan back in, I think he will be very, very happy where we are at the minute.
“I expect Kilkenny to improve in this game and in a quarter or semi-final.”
Sourse: breakingnews.ie