Work commitments and increasingly challenging injury problems ultimately forced Kilkenny's Eoin Larkin to walk away from hurling in the winter of 2016, but the eight-time All-Ireland winner admits it took time to readjust as he stepped outside the inter-county bubble.
Larkin was speaking on the At The End Of The Day programme, which was broadcast on RTÉ Radio 1.
Athlete David Gillick, jockey Bryan Cooper, former Shelbourne captain Luke Byrne and ex-rugby player Tom May also share their experiences of moving on to the next chapter in their lives after finishing their respective sporting careers.
For Larkin - one of the stars of an unstoppable Cats team - a creaking body made the decision for him.
"I had been around the panel for maybe 12 years," he said.
"From around 2008, 2009 on I had chronic groin problems, groin pain and lower back pain as well.
"I was constantly in with the physio maybe two or three times during the week, before and after training getting dry needling and rubbed out to try and get myself ready for the next training session or the next match. By the time I got to 2016 it just took a toll on my body.
"One day, I was changing jobs and I was after having a discussion with Brian [Cody] about what the job would entail. He said, 'we'll do anything we can to help you'. I just woke up one morning and came to the realisation, 'this is not going to work, I can't start a new job and have to be leaving for physio appointments just to try and get myself on the pitch'. I'd had a great time but the time has come and I just have to pack it in."
Breaking the news to his manager was tough.
"It was a difficult conversation," Larkin admitted. "The more difficult conversation was when I told him originally that I was changing jobs and he said he'd do anything he can to help me out. I think after that conversation Brian actually knew that I had come to the realisation that it wasn't going to work, and I think after that conversation he knew I was going to retire.
"He said, 'you'll see what everybody thought about you when you do announce it', and that was a lovely thing to hear as well. You'd never see that emotion from Brian, or probably any manager, but particularly Brian on a day-to-day basis. It was nice to hear that because you're always thinking, 'could I have done more, could I have given more?' but after hearing that from Brian I was totally comfortable with retiring."
"You have to put yourself in the players' shoes too. They want to keep everything in house."
Larkin said one of the biggest wrenches in the process was leaving the team Whatsapp group. The act of hitting the 'exit group' button made it all very real.
"I was sitting on the Whatsapp message for a good 15, 20 minutes before I sent it because [I knew], once I send this I have to leave straight away. I won't lie, I shed a tear before I sent the message. That was one of the hardest parts, coming out of the Whatsapp group.
"It certainly changes the dynamic of lads that are still in there because what happens in the dressing room has to stay in the dressing room.
"It's difficult when you do leave because you still want to know what's going on and who's available for the upcoming match or who's after picking up an injury.
"I suppose it's not fair to ask how such and such a lad is going or if he's injured for Sunday. It's just natural. You're now going from a player to a supporter, you just want to know. But you have to put yourself in the players' shoes too. They want to keep everything in house."
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