He's taken the scenic route on the pitch to reach the centre-back position for club and county, but Richie Reid says it feels like a new lease of life to be settled in the number six jersey.
Superb displays manning the Kilkenny defence last year as they reached the All-Ireland decider was rewarded with an All-Star nomination recognition.
TJ’s younger brother is now very much established as one of the best in the business. Clare’s John Conlon took the award on the night, and while prising Liam MacCarthy away from Limerick is the number one goal, personal accolades are also a source of motivation.
"It’s a driving force to get an All-Star," he tells RTÉ Sport at the launch of the 2024 Allianz Hurling League.
TJ cemented his status as one of the great Kilkenny hurlers with his seventh All-Star last November, but both neither he nor club-mate Eoin Cody were present on the night of the awards as they were part of Reid's stag-do in Cheltenham.
"TJ and Eoin took the attention off me," he says. "It was great craic. I think there was 40 of us over there."
With Ballyhale's Kilkenny and All-Ireland defence ending in a county final defeat, it meant the Ballyhale contingent were part of the early pre-season camp under Derek Lyng.
They regrouped before Christmas and while the bodies were good after the unusually long lay-off from the club campaign, it was still an adjustment.
"You’d be kind of dreading it as it had been so long since doing a pre-season, but once you got the first session in, you kind of looked forward to the next."
While the panel enjoyed a break around Christmas time, Reid had further reason to put hurling on the backburner when he married Sabrina Cantwell.
It wasn't long however before it was back to business, though the extended runs of O’Loughlin Gaels, Thomastown and Tullogher Rosbercon meant as many as a dozen players were absent from Kilkenny training. And with Fitzgibbon Cup commitments, there will be further managing of the panel.
"It’s only in the last week we have only got lads back," he says.
An away trip to Wexford Park is the immediate aim this weekend, while attempting to bridge the gap to Limerick is the bigger picture. Last year’s heavy league final defeat to the Treaty men was followed by a second successive All-Ireland final defeat.
For years the hunted, the Cats are now doing everything they can to stop a Limerick five-in-a-row.
The 30-year-old admits that being settled at the heart of the Kilkenny defence has afforded him a new lease of life. An understandable sentiment given his journey there.
A forward during his underage days at Ballyhale, the presence of the likes of Henry Shefflin, Cha Fitzpatrick, TJ Reid, Colin Fennelly and even his brother Eoin meant that when the goalkeeper’s position became available, he decided to take it.
"I was happy enough just to get a starting position in goals," he says.
"It was daunting at the start, but I always had a good first touch and an eye for the ball."
With Ballyhale he started back outfield again, which didn’t go unnoticed by Brian Cody. In 2017 he replaced Richie Hogan in a Leinster round-robin defeat to Wexford.
There were league appearances here and there, but didn’t play championship for three years when he was named at midfield to play Dublin.
Henry Shefflin decided that there was more to be gained with Reid outfield for Ballyhale than in between the sticks, and assumed the six jersey after Michael Fennelly’s retirement. His performances there made the similar step at inter-county level almost inevitable.
"When I went there with the club, I had Mick Fennelly beside me and I learned so much off him. Then with Kilkenny…I probably found it hard at the start to get the position and chance to play there.
"It’s a new lease of life for me."
A joust with the Yellowbellies will give Lyng and his charges are early season litmus test as to where they are.
For Reid it’s the first step in building towards team and personal glory.
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