Loughgiel's All-Ireland club winning captain Johnny Campbell won't be re-joining the Antrim hurling squad ahead of their Leinster SHC opener against Westmeath on May 19.

While the likes of Joey Scullion, Liam Watson and DD Quinn (who has been named as Antrim's new captain) have put their All-Ireland celebrations behind them and returned to the county fold, Campbell has informed manager Jerry Wallace that he won't be going back.

"To be fair to Jerry, he gave me plenty of time," Campbell said in the Belfast Telegraph.

"I broke my ankle last year and went for an operation. I was rushing back and picking up wee stupid injuries here and there, never getting myself back to full, proper fitness. Obviously, I was trying to get myself back for Loughgiel's run.

"I wasn't hurling as well as I would like to have been. It had been playing on my mind since February, it was something I had to think about. We played Antrim in a challenge game and I played garbage, to be honest. I said to Jerry afterwards, 'Listen, I have to tell you, I'm thinking of jacking it in here.'

"Fair play, he never put me under any pressure, he just said to go away and concentrate, keep my focus on the club and he would speak to me after we finished.

"He came back to me, and we met one night in Belfast a couple of weeks after the final. We talked about and I told him what I was thinking. He was understanding about it to be fair." Tweet

Most Read Stories