Michael Rice has spoken of his long road to recovery from two horror injuries.

The 31-year-old former All Star has resumed his club career with Carrickshock after recovering from the cruciate ligament injury suffered last year, not long after he'd returned from a badly-smashed hand sustained in the 2012 All-Ireland semi-final victory over Tipperary.

Between them, the injuries have robbed Rice of almost three years and a host of honours, including two All-Irelands (although he did win a league medal in between). It has been a long and arduous journey back... "Everyone thinks it is a straight line of progression. Recovery is such a windy road. It is up and down, sideways and every way," he says in The Kilkenny People.

"I will take it one day at a time and build, build, build. The day of me making plans about future matches is a bit dodgy considering the last two or three years.

"I am in a good place. When you are on the field and enjoying hurling - and I enjoyed the two days [with Carrickshock]  that is what it is about.

"There was excitement playing again. I was like a seven-year-old bursting to get out. I really wanted to be hurling. I wasn't concerned about playing well. I wanted to get out and run around and enjoyed what I like doing.

"I forgot completely about the knee. The feeling was great. The knee is perfect."

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