Former 'Hurler of the Year' Austin Gleeson has serious reservations about the possibility of pay-for-play being brought into gaelic games.

It was revealed recently that a yet-to-be published GAA report, titled 'Toward 2034 - the 150^th anniversary of the GAA', will propose the payment of an allowance to inter-county players instead of the current expenses systems.

Speaking to The Irish Independent at the Littlewoods GAA Go Games Provincial Days in Croke Park yesterday, the Mount Sion star voiced his opposition to the suggestion...

"I don't think at all it should happen. The reason everyone loves hurling is it's amateurs playing an amateur sport.

"It's something that I don't think should happen. It would take away from the love of the game.

"If you're getting paid, you could go training and wander around because 'it doesn't matter, I'm getting paid anyway'. I don't think it should come in."

He added: "Every team gets their expenses. There are (Waterford) lads up in Dublin who get their expenses and everything is put in place food-wise after training.

"They get their championship gear, you get free physio if you need it. There are doctors there if you need doctors so there are always little allowances there for you.

"Look at the way soccer has gone - there are players sitting on benches now going just because the money is there. They don't really care if they play or not."

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