Davy Fitzgerald thought that he was finished with the Wexford hurlers after a gut-wrenching two point loss to Tipperary in the All Ireland semi final last July.
"I was gone, a hundred per cent I was gone. I told the chairman after the game. At the very last minute, I did a U-turn. A lot of it would be down to the players, the incredible texts I got from them. That would have been 30 texts which is unheard of for a manager to get that even from fellas that aren't playing. The county board are incredible and the people, it's just the right fit. I'm happy to be back there and I'm enjoying it."
The Banner native is back on the long and winding road from Sixmilebridge to Wexford on a regular basis. "Between three and four times a week. It's a tough trip but I've good company with me, I'd always have two of the lads from Clare so the craic in the car is good and that's half the battle."
This is his thirteenth consecutive season on the sidelines. He has worked on his man management skills over the years. "I think you get to understand things better as you get older. You have to understand the individual way more. Now, I'd be very conscious of the individual and how to get the best out of the individual. We're spending so much time together, that the time should be good, it shouldn't be a chore to go to training. I don't want it to be a chore, I want it to be something that they actually enjoy. We'll be serious, we'll train hard but we'll have the craic as well. It's to get a balance and I think I understand that a bit more."
He has been impressed by Waterford's attitude under new manager Liam Cahill. "Liam has fairly laid down the law and put out his stall the way he wants it. The lads are working extremely hard, we played them in a practice match recently. That's important. I'm sure Liam is happy enough with his progress so far but, as we all know, things probably heat up from now on."
Fitzgerald was speaking at the launch of the All Ireland GAA Golf Challenge at Waterford Castle in aid of Down Syndrome Ireland.
Listen back to the full interview from WLR's weekly GAA show Lár Na Páirce with PWC Waterford.
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