‘He’s not retiring’ - Davy Fitzgerald keeps door open for Austin Gleeson to return to Waterford panel

Davy Fitzgerald is in Dublin talking Ireland’s Fittest Family, but the conversation has turned to Waterford hurling losing one of its brood. Modern families, always folk coming and going. This time, it’s Austin Gleeson’s turn.

“I’m not stupid, I’m around a long time, a fella of his ability and his talent, they don’t come around too often, he’s a pretty special guy,” says Fitzgerald.

“He is a special talent and to be without him will be tough but when you look at the overall side of things, life is short, there is more to life than GAA and I realise that a lot more lately.”

For a man often caricatured as a manic hurling fanatic who believes there is nothing else in life quite like the clash of the ash, perhaps it’s an indication Fitzgerald is starting to mellow. But then the Clare native wasn’t exactly blindsided by Gleeson’s decision to step away.

Michael Murphy: Galway impressively shift gears but Derry stall

---

Longford beat Dublin in an extra-time thriller to secure Leinster minor crown

---

Tipperary work past Clare to earn a 42nd Munster hurling title

---

Mayo captain Paddy Durcan out for the season with an ACL injury

---

“If a fella isn’t in the right head space and needs a break, I think it’s important you listen to him,” continues the Waterford senior hurling manager. “A few weeks after we finished, I had a chat with him because I wanted to ask him how he felt.

“Being honest, I knew last year from talking to him. After last year, I think he was done. We spent a lot of time talking him around last year, we spent maybe six to eight weeks trying to convince him to come back. And I think if you are trying to push someone to come back you might be pushing them against their will. I think he wanted a break.

“And it’s something I’m saying to myself that maybe I should have listened to him a bit more because he’s been on the go a long time. But as we talked about, he’s not retiring – we spent a good bit of time talking about this and that’s a definite for him.”

So, the dressing room door remains open to Gleeson, whenever the spark returns. You don’t slide the bolt closed on a player of such extraordinary talent.

“We won’t be shutting the door on him completely,” adds Fitzgerald. “I’m very comfortable with the decision because I know it is okay for him at the moment, but it’s never a closed door with me. If he feels the buzz and is in good shape that’s fine, the door will be open to Austin.”

Fitzgerald still has a few loose ends to tie up before finalising his 2024 panel, but he will be welcoming Kieran Bennett and Ian Kenny back to the squad. As for himself, well Fitzgerald admits there were some testing periods during the first year of his second stint as Waterford boss, but he is hopeful those experiences will pave the way for a stronger showing next year.

“It wasn’t easy for a patch during the middle of the championship this year. I’m not one to walk away after a few months,” he says. “Where you actually learn things is in the middle of championship.

“The National League is great for games and players and all of that, but the championship is where you find out what you need to find out. And it wasn’t easy in patches, there was a lot of soul-searching in games. But I learned a lot from it. Listen, I’m looking forward to this year.”

Fitzgerald reckons there was some scar tissue from the disappointment of previous seasons but believes the team is now in a place where they can push forward once again.

“I think that [confidence] was dented before I got there, to be honest with you. The defeats in Liam’s last year definitely had an effect I think, mentally. But I think we’ve a better understanding of the why now. I’m hoping so.

“If we haven’t, and if I’m not the man for the job, I won’t be staying just for the sake of being there. If they need someone else rather than me to turn it around then that will be fine, let someone else do it if I can’t improve their fortunes.

“The only thing I’d say is don’t just judge this over a league game or two – give us until the end of the year. That’s the message I’d give to the Waterford supporters, don’t judge, just support us for the year. Because they are really genuine young lads, these are good lads. I’m kind of hoping the second year we’ll be able to go to another level.

“I would just encourage the Waterford supporters to come out and support us. Maybe they’ll say, ‘Ah, sure we’ve been supporting them for a long time and they’ve got no place,’ but do you know what, you always need to have hope and I think if the glass is half full rather than half empty it’s better off.

“I’m hoping that we’ll get every Waterford person that we can to Walsh Park, that’s what we’re hoping. We’re going to work extremely hard, that’s all I can promise them.”

♦ Ireland’s Fittest Family will make its return to RTÉ One on Sunday, October 29th. This will be the 11th season of Ireland’s Fittest Family, which is proudly sponsored by Londis.