Five years after his last appearance with the Galway hurlers, Johnny Glynn looks set for a hurling inter-county return.
The 2017 All-Ireland winner has been based in New York over the last few years, and was a key figure in the Exiles' famous Connacht championship victory over Leitrim last year.
The Irish Independent has reported that the powerful Ardrahan man is back in Ireland for a few months and linked in with Henry Shefflin’s squad this week.
The 30-year-old last lined out for the Tribesmen in a Leinster round-robin defeat to Dublin in 2019, a game that saw the westerners exit the championship.
Glynn's physical presence and aerial ability would be a huge boost to Shefflin as his side bid to improve on successive All-Ireland semi-final defeats.
Speaking on the RTÉ GAA podcast, former Antrim Neil McManus hurler says a recent visit to New York, where he spoke to the county footballers, was an eye opener as to what Glynn offers a team.
"Never mind what Johnny brings on the pitch, there is obviously huge leadership within the man," he said.
McManus says Galway’s need for a target man was never more evident than Joe Canning’s last game for the Tribes, an All-Ireland qualifier defeat to Waterford in 2021.
The Portumna man retired the following week, outlining wear and tear on his body as the principal reason for his decision to step away, yet he was still shouldered the responsibility of winning primary possession.
"He (Canning) was the puck-out option when they were trying to get into the game, on his own. He won those last two puckouts, made a goal for Jason Flynn and scored a point.
"He was the go-to man because there wasn’t really any other option from puckouts. Galway have definitely developed in that area, but Johnny Glynn will give them an option that not a lot of county teams have, and one that Galway need.
"Galway have developed really tricky forwards, real fast, pacy guys. Conor Whelan is obviously a very strong operator inside as well, but he’ll (Glynn) will really complement that forward line.
"It’s huge.
They have pushed in the last few years. They obviously haven’t made the final, but they have really pushed. He knows they are close."
While Glynn has returned home to line out for Ardrahan in club championship as well as his involvement with the New York footballers, in McManus’ opinion, his absence from the hurling’s elite level isn’t a big a concern as it would be for other players
"His job will be to win the ball and hand it off," he says.
"Johnny will be used in a route one fashion and won’t be expected to striking it over the shoulder from 45 yards out, he’ll be winning the ball, letting it off to the lads and being an absolute wrecking ball."
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