Former Waterford defender Brian Flannery has hailed the impact made by his Mount Sion club-mate Paraic Fanning in a short space of time with the Waterford hurlers.

Fanning will lead the Deise into an Allianz HL semi-final battle with Galway in Nowlan Park tomorrow and Flannery has been impressed with what he has witnessed to date.

“Paraic bleeds blue and white, whether that be Mount Sion's or Waterford's,” he said in an interview with the Irish Independent.

“And I think somewhere along the line, that does add a little bit, a Waterford man managing Waterford. Derek McGrath would have had that and Paraic has it now.

“And I think any hesitation that might have been there initially from the county board has certainly been dispelled. There don't seem to have been any difficulties in the change-over from one very particular regime to something that's a little bit different.

“Like I'm not so sure the players will be having a barbecue at Paraic's any time soon. He's not that type of guy. And you know he won't be quoting philosophers or poets, but he definitely knows how to speak hurling.

“He's made a great impression in a very short period of time.”

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