Conor Ryan back from early retirement and relishing every Cratloe moment

Like so many of the young Clare hurlers at the end of the 2013 season, Conor Ryan seemed to have the world at his feet.

With an Under-21 All-Ireland title under his belt, he began to make a serious impression on senior manager Davy Fitzgerald in the early part of the year, before seizing his chance in championship.

Introduced against Wexford, he got his first start against Galway in the quarter-final and never looked back. Dómhnall O'Donovan is best remembered for the drawn final with Cork, but it was Ryan who claimed the player of the match award, excelling again the second time out as Clare ended the year as unlikely champions.

Unbeknownst to himself, he would never grace the hallowed turf of Croke Park again in a Clare jersey.

Clare's meek attempt at retaining Liam MacCarthy was somewhat offset by Cratloe’s double county exploits, Ryan feeling at the peak of his physical powers.

That however was to change in 2015. The energy levels dipped and try as he might, there was a sluggish feeling he couldn’t escape, though not from the lack of effort.

"I never really felt like I had the talent of the guys around me, so I always felt I had to work that bit extra hard to make up for that lack of talent," he tells Marie Crowe on RTÉ’s Sunday Sport.

"There was a huge sense of imposter syndrome being in All-Ireland winning dressing room. At the time, I was really putting myself to the pin of my collar."

With so much success early in his career, the standards set were moving into 'unrealistic’ territory. There was no ceiling. If he trained four days a week, why not make it five?

"I had it in my head this was what I had to do remain part of a winning team," he says.

The enjoyment was replaced by stress as confidence ebbed away. The weight loss