Waterford hurling manager Derek McGrath has been impressed by Maurice Shanahan's honesty both on and off the pitch.

Shanahan earned himself an All Star with a series of stunning displays for Na Deise during the summer - a feat that is all the more remarkable when one considers the ace attacker's battle with depression.

Waterford boss McGrath has lauded the player for opening up publicly about those struggles:

"The core principle of any team, outside of talk about tactics, is honesty and he's certainly been that," McGrath tells The Irish Examiner. "He's been very open and that's the kind of person he is.

"I've always said I won't fault anyone who's being entirely honest and I'd like to meet the man who has never made a mistake, who has never had hardship or difficulty. Maurice has confronted and spoken openly about his difficulties.

"I think it has been good for him because he's a figure people can relate to and that's the key thing for him. There is a bit of empathy for the type of figure Maurice is. That's why his openness has been embraced the way it is."

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