David 'Dotsy' O'Callaghan has vowed to return to the Dublin hurling fold next year, despite suffering a serious back injury last season.

The injury hasn't dampened the 33-year-old's desire to keep playing for the Dubs.

"There was a high level of nerve damage," he said of the injury at the launch of the Bord na Mona Walsh Cup yesterday.

"Basically you start to lose power in the foot and stuff, so to get to that point then you need to decompress the nerve (through an operation). But it's gone well, there's still pain in the back and I've been unable to do much up until this point. At least now I've been back in with Eamon O'Reilly, the Dublin physio, and doing stuff.

He continued: "Being honest with you, I had kind of built up last year to be my last year playing and I had put in a big effort.

"I suppose the fact that I haven't got to play any hurling for the last six months, you can't help the appetite building again. Even looking at Cuala last week as well, it was very refreshing looking at that and that would give you the urge as well to go back.

"Ultimately, I'll see how this progresses over the next couple of weeks, work away with Eamon and see if I can get into a position to give it a crack."

O'Callaghan hopes to be back playing in early spring.

"I suppose you'd be targeting kind of mid-February / March. That's my target now, I have to go back in and meet Mr Kelleher, the surgeon on February 1 as well," he said.

"Look, there's been big changes to the panel so I suppose you're going to see a lot of younger guys coming in and getting oportunities in the Walsh Cup and league as well. I think a lot of the guys really stood up last year."

Tweet

Most Read Stories