MASTER SHEFF'

Murphy hails Henry's return to Kilkenny fold

- BY KARL O'KANE

HENRY Shefflin's return to the Kilkenny fold is a welcome one, according to his former All-Ireland winning teammate Paul Murphy.

Shefflin was appointed Kilkenny Under-20 manager earlier this week with a high-profile backroom team that includes his regular right-hand man Richie O'Neill and his ex Cats’ teammate Brian Hogan.

Also included are Hogan's O'Loughlin Gaels clubmates Stephen Murphy (Goalkeeping Coach) and Fergal Brennan (Performance Analysis).

The Head Coach is St Martins’ Sean Kelly, with Dicksboro James Gittens and James Stephens’ Nathen Culleton (Strength and Conditioning) also on board.

Record 10-time All-Ireland winner and 11-time All Star Shefflin is currently managing his own club, Ballyhale Shamrocks, after finishing up a three year stint as Galway boss at the end of last season.

His move to manage Galway wasn't received well in some quarters in Kilkenny, with the notorious handshakes with Brian Cody in May and June 2022 causing controversy at the time.

After the second one, Shefflin walked away shaking his head, but Kilkenny’s move for what many regard as their greatest ever player will be viewed as bringing down the curtain on those contentious events.