HEAVEN SHEEDY
Liam: I feel free as a bird.. managing Tipp is such an honour & privilege for me
LIAM SHEEDY feels “free as a bird” as he settles into his second coming as Tipperary supremo.
Sheedy’s previous tenure culminated in All-ireland glory in 2010 and, while the Premier county have gone close since, they haven’t scaled that mountain again.
Expectations are high that the Portroe man can deliver another Liam Maccarthy Cup but he claims there’s no heavy burden on his shoulders.
“Anyone involved in a team is anxious to get to the summit – that’s just a given,” said Sheedy.
“I don’t feel any pressure. Not an ounce of it. I’m free as a bird.
“I’m working with a new team. It’s 10 years on, a new group of players. I’m going to give it 100 per cent to get the team to play to its potential.
“Wherever that takes us, it takes us. But I’m excited about it. It’s an absolute honour and a privilege to manage your own county.”
Sheedy quit after that 2010 success for work reasons.
The 49-year-old admits: “What I was trying to do was get out on a high.
“I was very fortunate to get my hands on one (All-ireland). We hit the post in 2009. Thankfully, we got where all of us wanted to get. I was doing 16 hour days and that just becomes unmanageable.
“I was going to kill myself or damage myself. Something had to give.
“As the game has moved on, for somebody to stay longer than three years... a huge amount goes into it now. It’s going to a new level all the time.
“I don’t know where it will stop but we’ll try to catch up with it over the next few months.”
Sheedy got down to work on the hurling field three weeks ago ahead of tonight’s opening Co-op Superstore Munster Hurling League clash with All-ireland champions Limerick.
“Getting the chance to be on the sideline with the blue and gold is a special time,” he stated.
“I’m chugging on in years. I probably left a bit prematurely the last time – I made some career decisions that have worked out very well.
“There’s still a group of players I’d have a close affiliation to, who were involved with me last time. They’re probably coming to the back end of their careers.
“I thought long and hard about it. It wasn’t going away, it was niggling at me.
“I had a chat to a lot of people
I take advice from, had a chat at home, and there were no roadblocks put up. So I said,
‘Here goes’.
“There are 168 hours in the week – I’ve got to be very selfish with my time and manage it well.”