LIAM WATSON feared his Antrim hurling career was over when frozen out by former manager Kevin Ryan and, now that he’s back, insists he has nothing to prove to anyone.
The 33-year-old was lost to the Saffrons through no fault of his own since Loughgiel’s All-Ireland club winning season of 2012, having been consistently overlooked by Waterford native Ryan. Watson, speaking at Wednesday’s Allianz National Hurling League launch in Belfast, doesn’t feel he has to make a statement of intent in the months ahead as Antrim bid for promotion from Division Two.
“I have nothing to prove to him [Ryan]. If he couldn’t see I was one of the best players in Antrim, that’s up to him,” he said.
“He lost his job for having his gripes, but I have no gripes at all. I’m back playing for Antrim and I’m as happy as Larry.”
Watson is unhappy with speculation he refused to play for Antrim or that he didn’t want to return because of internal club strife: “I got bad press that I didn’t want to be among the Cushendall players, which was all nonsense. I had an All-Ireland to win with my club.
“He [Ryan] asked me once to join the panel while we were preparing for an All-Ireland semi-final, but I was committed to my club, the way any other player in Ireland would be. He made it blunt that I either committed there or then or I was off the panel.
“I always wanted to make myself available, but he [Ryan] never phoned me in four years, never spoke to me, never looked at me. I saw him once at a Loughgiel championship match, but he never even spoke to me.”
Watson’s prolific club form, after scoring 0-16 in the All-Ireland semi-final win over Na Piarsaigh and a hat-trick against Coolderry in the final, continued in the intervening seasons - making his omission at county level all the more puzzling.
Cast into the inter-county wilderness ever since, he admits he believed he’d never play for Antrim again and appreciates this second coming: “There were times when I thought it would never happen, so I’m glad now where I’m at," he said.
“Although I’m 33, I’m like a spring lamb, though sometimes my legs don’t feel like it. I’m looking forward to pulling on the yellow jersey again this Sunday.”
Ryan’s departure was the catalyst for Watson’s return, with his former club boss PJ O’Mullan now at the helm. But Watson is keen to stress his return at the same time as O’Mullan’s appointment is nothing more than a happy coincidence.
“I know PJ well, but that had no bearings on me coming back to play for Antrim - I always wanted to play,” he said.
His return is certainly timely, with Antrim at a low ebb following last year’s disastrous results. Relegation last year has left the county out of the All-Ireland series and they begin Division Two of the Allianz Hurling League against Derry on Sunday.
“There’s no beating about the bush - we need out of this division. We have no one to blame but ourselves. Antrim got themselves into it and Antrim has to get themselves out of it. Once we get the Cushendall boys back, that will only make Antrim stronger.
“But we can’t start thinking we’re better than anybody else or could be left with egg on our face. We are down there for a reason and we have to work our way back up.”
