Murphy reveals Shefflin tried to persuade him to play on for Kilkenny

Kilkenny goalkeeper Eoin Murphy.
©INPHO/Cathal Noonan.

Eoin Murphy has revealed that new Kilkenny manager Henry Shefflin tried to persuade him to continue playing inter-county hurling before he decided to retire after 16 season with the senior team.

The 36-year-old Glenmore goalkeeper announced his retirement on Thursday after winning four All-Ireland SHC titles, 10 Leinster championships and four All-Stars during a distinguished career.

Speaking to KCLR, Murphy explained that his mind was largely made up following Cats' Leinster championship loss to Dublin in May, with family commitments also playing a significant role.

“I had a couple of conversations with Henry,” Murphy said. “Personally, maybe my mind was made up from earlier in the year after finishing up with Kilkenny.

“I made the decision after the Dublin game that that was it. Some of the conversations with Henry, I just touched on it that he needs to be considering the future and building his team for two, three years down the line."

He added: “It’s very hard for me now at my age, having a family at home. It’s very hard to say that you’re going to be committed for the next two, three years.

“So look, after maybe a bit of persuasion and stuff like that, Henry eventually agreed that, yeah, it would be best for me to retire. I went out on my own terms.”

Murphy leaves Kilkenny after a remarkable career, having established himself as one of the outstanding goalkeepers of his generation.