Austin Gleeson says the criticism he received from supporters was a factor in his decision to step away from the inter-county scene this year.

The former Hurler of the Year also hopes the break with help him to rediscover his appetite for the game.

"I just wasn't enjoying it,” the Waterford man told RTÉ.

“I felt like I was there to please other people instead of doing stuff for myself. And again, I probably done that a small bit last year. Probably getting a lot of criticism inside and out of the county was having a bigger effect on me than I was probably thinking.

"It does have an effect on you, there's no point in lying.

"When you’re in the league or the championship, you’re trying to stay away [from the public] and avoid people as much as you possibly can. Waterford fans are great when they’re going well, but when things are bad they’re probably the worst around, that’s being completely honest with you.

"It’s a hard place to be when things are not going right. You just try and avoid it - thankfully now I don’t have to avoid it.

"The honest truth is that there’s not one person [in the Waterford camp] not giving 100%. It’s not like they’re going out there to lose."

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