By John Harrington

Rising Wexford hurling star, Rory O’Connor, has decided to stop playing club football in order to prolong his hurling career.

O’Connor won a Leinster Colleges Senior Football title with St. Peter’s Wexford in 2016 and combined both football and hurling to great effect with his club St. Martin’s.

But after undergoing knee surgery last December he’s decided to focus solely on hurling in the future so he doesn’t overload his body.

“It's something that was a personal decision I had to make just for my career,” said O’Connor today at the launch of the Bord Gáis Energy GAA All-Ireland U-21 Hurling Championship.

“I could either keep playing both and do myself harm and be retired very early or I could give myself the best chance to play as long as I can.”

O’Connor had cartilage removed from his knee during that surgery last December and for the rest of his playing career will be on an exercise programme to strengthen the muscles above and below the knee to help protect the joint.

His post-surgery rehabilitation went well and he has no issues with the knee at the moment.

“I got the operation in December and I was back running in early January,” said O’Connor.

“Then went through the rehab programme and was playing for the Tipp game in the League.

“It was the cartilage, basically the shock absorber in my knee between both bones. It just split in half on me. Just from wear and tear.

“They tidied up the cartilage because it was a bit hairy in there after being split.

“There isn't a good blood supply in your knee so as far as cartilage growing back in there, it's not really going to happen. There's a minimal amount in there at the moment, so it's something I'll have to manage.

“It seems to be all good now, it's not giving me any hassle.”

The 19-year-old certainly looked in great condition during the Allianz Hurling League earlier this year when he turned in a series of scintillating attacking performances for the Wexford hurlers.

He believes that in some ways his injury lay-off actually helped him because it allowed him to recharge his batteries and come back hungrier than ever for hurling.

“The other side of that (coming back from injury) is just being fresh,” said O’Connor. “It was a long auld season last year. So, to get all of Christmas off, more of a break, and actually relax and chill.

“And then to come back and train three hard weeks and then play inter-county matches, you're fresh and you're gunning for road.

“That's what I'd put it (good form) down to mainly.”

O’Connor was thrown in at the deep end last year when Wexford manager Davy Fitzgerald handed him his Championship debut for the All-Ireland SHC Quarter-Final against Waterford.

It was a nerve-wracking occasion for the teenager but it hardly showed in the way he hurled that day and now he feels very comfortable hurling at the highest level of the game. 

“Your first time of anything is going to be a nervous one but thankfully it went well for me that day, even though we didn't get the result,” said O’Connor.

“The days of getting nervous before big matches and putting pressure on yourself are gone now.

"It's more about team results. The last thing on your mind is what age you are or anything, it's irrelevant now.”