Galway legend Joe Canning has called time on his intercounty career with Galway after much speculation surrounding his future in recent days.
The Portumna clubman recently surpassed Kilkenny’s 10-time All-Ireland winner Henry Shefflin as the all-time top scorer in championship history in the Tribesmen’s defeat to Waterford on Saturday.
Speaking at a Bord Gais Energy media event, the 32-year-old said: “That’s it, finished with Galway now.
“I told the boys after in the dressing room, that was it, so have to keep my word a bit on that one.
“I will keep playing with Portumna, but that’s me finished with Galway.”
The 2017 Hurler of the Year revealed that injury concerns were one of the biggest factors in his decision.
“I was humming and hawing about kind of saying it publicly.
“But then I was talking to my brother after and we said I probably should have said it publicly, cut out all this.
“There has been a lot of people wondering, would I, wouldn’t I, so just to end all that.
“It’s injuries and stuff like that. I had a couple of fairly serious ones over the year and even this year alone I tore a hamstring after the Waterford league game and didn’t realise I had it for a few weeks. Just a little nick, I’d a partial tear in my thumb as well. My finger, my heel, there are four or five injuries alone this year, niggly ones, so it wasn’t getting any easier for me.
“I just feel the time is right. I don’t want to stay around too long either. I think that is a bad way as well, just being there for the sake of it.
“I am content with it. It wasn’t a thing just because we lost, that’s it. As I said to the boys I wanted to say it then because we will never be in that group again.”
Canning made his Galway debut in 2008 and is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time.
The pinnacle of his intercounty career came in 2017 as he finally claimed that all-elusive All-Ireland medal when Galway defeated Waterford in the decider.
He was also crowned Hurler of the Year in 2017 and bows out with five All Star awards to his name.