Huge blow for Waterford as Austin Gleeson opts out

Waterford have suffered a huge blow ahead of the 2024 season after Austin Gleeson confirmed that he would not be involved.

The Irish Examiner reported that the 2016 Hurler of the Year felt that he had lost the spark and is hoping that an extended period away will rejuvenate his career.

The Mount Sion player was hampered by injury last season in what was the first year of Davy Fitzgerald's second spell in charge of the county.

Gleeson made his senior inter-county debut in 2014 and has already racked up a decade in the blue and white at just 28 years of age.

"I just don’t have the drive to do it, really," he told the Irish Examiner.

"I need a break for a while. It’s not as if I’m never going to go back or anything like that. As Davy said to me, the door is definitely open if in the next few weeks or next month or two I have a change of heart."

As well as the Hurler of the Year award in 2016, he was named Young Hurler of the Year and received an All-Star.

He was in inspired form for Mount Sion in their Waterford SHC quarter-final against Roanmore a few weeks back, landing some monster frees, but the side still lost out to bring his season to an end.

Watch the Tipperary Hurling Championship semi-final, Thurles Sarsfields v Loughmore Castleiney, on Saturday from 7pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player