William Maher has refused to be drawn on speculation linking him to the Dublin hurling vacancy after he stepped down as Waterford assistant manager yesterday.

The 35-year-old, who holds the distinction of having captained and managed Tipperary to All-Ireland minor hurling titles in 1996 and 2012 respectively, is regarded as one of the best young coaches in the game. A selector with Tipperary's 2010 All-Ireland U21 winning team, Maher knows many of the current Dublin seniors from his time as a minor selector with the county a few years ago.

"Dublin remain one of the top teams in the country and, of course, it's flattering to be linked with such a big job. But at this moment in time, there has been no official contact and that kind of speculation is just hearsay," he told the Irish Independent.

Maher said it was a privilege to have worked alongside Waterford manager Derek McGrath over the past 12 months.

"Derek McGrath is a fantastic young manager, one of the best in the game," he continued.

"It was a brilliant opportunity for me to work with him in an inter-county set-up. He's a top class, innovative guy and Waterford are very, very lucky to have him. They remain in a transitional period, but Derek is the right man to take them forward into the future."

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