Kilkenny great TJ Reid announces his retirement from intercounty hurling

Kilkenny hurler TJ Reid has retired from intercounty hurling after almost 20 years for the Cats.

The 38-year-old is considered one of the greatest forwards of all-time and is the top scorer in the history of the championship with a total of 43-672 (801 points).

His glittering roll call of achievements include seven All-Ireland titles, 14 Leinster titles, five national league titles and two All-Ireland Under-21 titles.

“After 20 seasons in black and amber, I have decided to bring my Kilkenny senior hurling career to an end. Walking away from something that has been such a huge part of my life is not easy, but I leave with immense pride and no regrets,” Reid said.

“When I first wore the Kilkenny jersey in 2007, I never imagined I would still be representing my county two decades later. It has been the greatest privilege of my life.”

Kilkenny GAA chairman PJ Kenny paid tribute to Reid, saying:

“TJ Reid has given extraordinary service to Kilkenny hurling over almost 20 years. His achievements speak for themselves, but it is the manner in which he represented Kilkenny, his commitment to the jersey and the standards he set throughout his career that will leave a lasting impression.

“He has been a wonderful ambassador for Kilkenny GAA and a firm favourite with our supporters, who have enjoyed so many memorable moments thanks to his exceptional talent. On behalf of Kilkenny GAA, I want to sincerely thank TJ for everything he has given to our county.”

Reid impressed for Ballyhale Shamrocks last weekend with new manager Henry Shefflin watching as they won the county club championship and had not indicated retirement.

“At the moment, I’m still a Kilkenny player,” said Reid on Sunday. “So that’s still there. We’ll see. Ballyhale Shamrocks is first and foremost. Obviously you want to play forever. I’ll try my best to do that.

“As I said, we’ll regroup first. If there’s a panel picked and I’m called for it, I’ll be there. And if not, so be it.”

However, he has decided to call it a day after a glittering senior intercounty career that started in 2007. Individually, he was recognised with seven All-Star awards and was named Hurler of the Year in 2015.