Sheedy assembling star-studded Premier backroom team ahead of his return to fold

WITH Liam Sheedy set to be ratified for his second stint as Tipperary hurling manager in the coming days, the 2010 All-Ireland-winning boss is working hard behind the scenes to finalise a star-studded backroom team.

The exact details are not confirmed but it is believed that a lot of big names are in the mix with Eamon O’Shea his chief target after the pair helped to mastermind the Premier’s Liam MacCarthy triumph eight years ago, halting Kilkenny’s ‘drive for five’ in the process.

It would be a major coup if the duo were reunited but others like current Tipp minor boss Tommy Dunne, Brian Horgan (involved under previous Tipp manager Michael Ryan) and former Galway manager Anthony Cunningham are also being floated about for the role as coach.

Other potential candidates for backroom positions are said to be former Kerry/Offaly/Laois boss Eamonn Kelly, former Premier captain Conor Gleeson, 2010 All-Ireland-winning skipper Eoin Kelly, and ex-Tipp stars Eamonn Corcoran and Paul Curran.

With his sensational return to management to be confirmed at Tipp’s county board meeting on Monday night, Sheedy (left) is expected to pull out all the stops to assemble the best support team available, with the finer details to become clearer over the weekend.

Elsewhere, former Kerry football boss Eamonn Fitzmaurice has hailed the “machine-like stamina” of Donnchadh Walsh after the 34-year-old called time on his Kingdom career.

The Cromane forward brings the curtain down after winning three All-Ireland SFC titles, eight Munster crowns, two league titles and an All-Star in 2015.