Davy Fitzgerald admitted it "wasn't easy" going up against a Clare side he soldiered with for five years, but heaped praise on his ever-improving Wexford team after another impressive Allianz Hurling League Division 1A victory.
Fitzgerald led a youthful Banner outfit to the Liam MacCarthy back in 2013, but he left in the autumn of 2016 following a disappointing All-Ireland SHC quarter-final exit at the hands of Galway.
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At the time Fitzgerald described managing Clare as "one of the greatest privileges of my life" and he shared his continued affection for the county in the wake of Wexford's win today.
"It wasn't the easiest of days you've ever come across," he said.
"When you spend five years with a bunch of guys and then you're on the sideline against them... it was difficult. You have to do a job, that's fine, but it isn't the easiest."
Since arriving on the Model set-up last year he has invigorated the county and his team were excellent again at Wexford Park.
Fitzgerald has tried to play down expectations among a feverishly excited support but he conceded his side are very much moving in the right direction - and could be a match for anyone come the championship.
"I'm delighted with the Wexford guys. We absolutely gave everything and I thought they played unreal today.
"The boys are telling me we were odds-on to go down at the start if the year; that there was no hope for us at all. We're top of the table at the moment so it's not so bad, we're happy enough.
"We're still learning. We're probably winning games where we should be winning them more than what we're winning them. But you know what? It's good. To get the victories is good.
"We need results like this to give us confidence. We've Kilkenny next Sunday. It's not as important as it might have been if we'd lost today. It will still be a good battle.
"We've just worked on a style that suits ourselves. Where can we go? I don't know. I think the hurling championship is pretty open. There's maybe two or three teams slightly ahead but not much. Given any particular day, if we cut down on the mistakes that we do we'll be there or thereabouts."
