Despite the raft of retirements, JJ Delaney is adamant that Kilkenny won't lack for leadership in the defence of their Liam McCarthy Cup crown.

Brian Cody is planning for the months ahead minus the influential services of the likes of Delaney, Henry Shefflin, Brian Hogan and Tommy Walsh but the newly unveiled Sky Sports pundit has a warning for all the pretenders to their throne.

"I've seen over the past two or three years inside the Kilkenny dressing-room, there are lads stepping up to the mark, taking leadership roles, the likes of TJ Reid and Richie Hogan and they didn't realise it," Delaney revealed to The Irish Independent.

"So when we're gone, there are good people stepping into our shoes and hoping to do better than we did. Have no fear this year about Kilkenny."

As regards who will inherit his number three jersey, Delaney outlined: "For the in-house training games they'll have Paul Murphy at one end and Joey Holden at the other and it's between the two of them.

Whoever is going to be full-back, the other will be in the corner anyway.

"It's a learning curve but whoever does settle down and get it will have it for four or five years."

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