Galway great Joe Canning has announced his retirement from inter-county hurling, after the Tribesmen bowed out of this year's All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship at the hands of Waterford last weekend.
On his final appearance for Galway, the Portumna man contributed nine points, overhauling Henry Shefflin as the leading all-time scorer in championship hurling, with 27-485 from 62 games.
The 32-year-old announced his retirement at the Bord Gáis Energy 2021 #HurlingToTheCore Media Day. He cited the physical toll of injuries as a reason behind the decision.
"I knew it was going to happen this year, I just didn’t think it was going to be Saturday evening. If you go into a championship game expecting not to win, you might as well not tog out in the first place. I don't want to be there as a token gesture. I had nothing prepared. Everyone dreams about a lovely way to go out, and in my own head it was going to be 22 August, winning an All-Ireland."
"I want to be able to train the whole time and offer the same as everybody else. I have had a few serious injuries over the past few years. When you are nursing injuries, you can’t get a good run at it, particularly this year in the league with my thumb. The hamstring went. My finger, my heel. I don’t want to be there as a token gesture, being part-time. I want to offer the same as everyone else. I don’t want to be there on reputation."
Canning informed the Galway management and players of his decision in the immediate aftermath of their defeat to the Deise, and admits it was an emotional scene.
"I was humming and hawing about publicly saying it. I rang the brother after, and was like 'people are going to continue wondering am I staying on or not. I didn't want to make or any statements or anything like that. He just said 'listen if you don't want people wondering if you're retiring or not retiring in the next few months, just say it'."
Canning bows out of the game as the All-Ireland Championship leading all-time scorer, the 2017 Hurler of the Year, a year where he won his solitary Liam McCarthy Cup, while he also boasts three Leinster titles, five All-Stars and two National Hurling Leagues.
Canning will continue to play with his club Portumna for the foreseeable future.
