Wexford hurling manager Davy Fitzgerald has spoken about his family’s past history of heart problems.

The former Clare All-Ireland winning boss had a health scare in the summer of 2016 which required him to have a number of stents inserted to clear blockages in blood vessels around his heart.

Speaking on last night’s Late Late Show, Fitzgerald told Ryan Tubridy that the issues also led to mental health problems.

"My family history is my mam lost a number of brothers very young to heart disease," he stated.

"When people heard I got stents they were saying ‘sure look at him on the sideline, why wouldn’t he get them?’, but it’s genetic. As I say to my mam, ‘I got your genes alright!’.

"I got stents in in 2016 and I was feeling that I hadn’t much energy, but then I found out I had sleep apnea which means you aren’t getting enough oxygen in overnight and that you could stop breathing for x amount of time.”

He added: "It was getting to me. I was a fit guy, able to train seven days a week, managing people and this hit me – I found it very difficult to deal with. I had to make up my mind that I had to try and deal with this, and I met a really great guy in Wexford, Colm Smith, who does reflexology and helps with my nutrition and he really got my head in gear.

"We just need to learn to enjoy our health – I just need to not over think it. Let’s not look to the negative, enjoy the next day and make the best of it."

Wexford manager Davy Fitzgerald talks about his health struggles - physical and mental - over the years with Ryan Tubridy on the Late Late Show. #RTEGAA pic.twitter.com/OEQHXAC2zM

— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) October 26, 2018

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