Padraic Maher admits he is still getting used to being a former hurler but he believes that a new management role with his native Tipperary is the next best thing to playing.
The three-time All-Ireland winner was forced into a shock retirement in February due to a neck problem.
Speaking on 2fm's Game On to promote the launch of his autobiography All on the Line, he said: "It’s very challenging still, to be honest.
"Your family and friends do help but you have to deal with it yourself.
"You’re taken out of a routine. There are different emotions. It’s something that you’ve been doing since you were a child, though it got more and more serious as you got older.
"You’re not expecting it to be over as quick as I did and I just wasn’t prepared.
"I still have challenges: mentally, and just finding a routine, being taken out of a high-performance environment."
We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
What made the blow harder for the six-time All-Star was the fact that he could not even continue to play for Thurles Sarsfields, having been given strong medical advice against playing contact sport.
"I have to go for check-up scans every couple of months, and you’re still kind of holding on to that [tiny] percentage that maybe there’s a major improvement and it’s after repairing itself. But unfortunately, that’s not the way it is.
"I’m well aware I had a great and lengthy career and that I’m very lucky.
"But the killing thing for me is not getting that extra couple of years with the club.
"Most inter-county players when they retire get to go back to the club and try to give two or three years where you can play at a good level for them and try to give back.
"So that was difficult to take, that I didn’t get that opportunity."
Maher wasn't out of the game for long however. New Tipp manager Liam Cahill wanted him as a selector and he will be part of the Premier's backroom team next year as they seek to rebuild following a winless Munster campaign in 2022.
"When I got the phone call and he explained what he wanted me to do, my original feeling was butterflies in my stomach. That bit of excitement, something similar to what you had playing or preparing for a big game.
"I wouldn’t say it’s going to match it or anything but it’s the closest thing to it. It’s something to look forward to.
"It was too good an opportunity for me to turn down. I might never get it again.
"I’d like to think I have had plenty of experience over the years, good times and bad times. I’ve seen what players have done in their careers and maybe what they shouldn’t be doing.
"I’d like to think I hold high standards myself so I feel like I have a lot to bring to the table.
"The game has changed dramatically in the 13 years I was playing inter-county. I’d like to think I have a bit of knowledge as regards different teams and how they are setting up.
"But at the end of the day we have to concentrate on ourselves as well. I talk [in the book] about that experience of standards and I have different ideas on how to play against different teams. Hopefully I get to bring those points across to the management team."
